Willmer Pipe
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Here my Willmer Straight Grain AAA. I must say that I have known this brand for a little over a year and these smooth pipes I find them very well made and their style reminds me of Charatanian influences. I have not yet understood much about the history of the brand, but I have an article in a Russian digital magazine that tries to retrace its history. Unfortunately I do not read Russian, so I decided to let me translate it into Italian but my translator was not great, so the translation is uncertain as regards the terms "technical".
Edited by jvnshr: Picture link fixed.
There's a reason for the Willmer freehands' resemblance to Charatan freehands. They are Charatan freehands, bought after hours in the basement of the Charatan factory. Willmer was never a carver at Charatan, though he may have done some menial tasks there and was related through marriage to one of Charatan's carvers.
According to Barry Jones, Willmer was buying unfinished stummels from the plant manager after hours in the basement of the Charatan Factory. These were stummels that had shown a flaw during finishing and were chucked into boxes until such time as they could be reworked. They weren't exactly rejects. So when Jones came upon the two of them he put a stop to it. After that, Willmer bought stummels from the Parker factory.
Here's the image you attempted to post.
According to Barry Jones, Willmer was buying unfinished stummels from the plant manager after hours in the basement of the Charatan Factory. These were stummels that had shown a flaw during finishing and were chucked into boxes until such time as they could be reworked. They weren't exactly rejects. So when Jones came upon the two of them he put a stop to it. After that, Willmer bought stummels from the Parker factory.
Here's the image you attempted to post.
Sorry for the wrong load, on mobile phobe is doficult.
In the Russian article that they sent me, we talk about three Willmer. The first, Friedrik Willmer father of Harold, would have even worked with Friedrik Charatan and in 1914 Harold Willmer was born, father of another Willmer whose name I can not remember. I do not know where this information was found by who wrote the article. Maybe is all wrong.
Now I am wainting for another Willmer Straight Grain AAA, it is a classic bent billiard.
In the Russian article that they sent me, we talk about three Willmer. The first, Friedrik Willmer father of Harold, would have even worked with Friedrik Charatan and in 1914 Harold Willmer was born, father of another Willmer whose name I can not remember. I do not know where this information was found by who wrote the article. Maybe is all wrong.
Now I am wainting for another Willmer Straight Grain AAA, it is a classic bent billiard.
If I recollect, Cigmaster bought a load of Willmers, maybe he will chime in soon, I have about 7 or 8 and not a bad smoker in the bunch.
I’ve amassed a decent collection of Willmers, ranging from their later, lesser efforts to their very high grade pipes. Quality wise easily as good as the finest British makers.
Most smoke wonderfully and I’ve had a better “hit” rate with Willmers than Dunhills, FWIW.
The brand isn’t especially well known in the U.S. as I believe there was only ever one or two shops bringing them in. Up until a couple of years ago you could get some incredible deals on Willmers but eventually the secret got out. Now prices are all over the place and don’t always reflect the worth of the piece. With Willmers their later production was not always consistent so you have to be careful. Their high grade pieces are not a problem, although their grading system did change a bit along the way.
Their shaping is eclectic, to say the least. I have pieces that range from the finest British expression of the billiard to pieces that are flat out Scandinavian freehand.
Sable: Thanks for the info. Some additional details on the story. Not a lot written about Willmer that I’ve been able to find.
Most smoke wonderfully and I’ve had a better “hit” rate with Willmers than Dunhills, FWIW.
The brand isn’t especially well known in the U.S. as I believe there was only ever one or two shops bringing them in. Up until a couple of years ago you could get some incredible deals on Willmers but eventually the secret got out. Now prices are all over the place and don’t always reflect the worth of the piece. With Willmers their later production was not always consistent so you have to be careful. Their high grade pieces are not a problem, although their grading system did change a bit along the way.
Their shaping is eclectic, to say the least. I have pieces that range from the finest British expression of the billiard to pieces that are flat out Scandinavian freehand.
Sable: Thanks for the info. Some additional details on the story. Not a lot written about Willmer that I’ve been able to find.
I've done a few Willmers but was always turned off by their stems. They didn't seem to be of the highest grade vulcanite (one had a flaw in it, someone told me that was from recycled rubber). They were perhaps a bit like James Upshall in that regard? (who used pre-molded stems vs. hand-cut)
The stem of Willmer that I posted above is not of great quality, plus the raw material (a little opaque) that the cut. This on up is the Willmer unsmoked that I'm waiting. If any of you are a good connoisseur of the Russian language, I can share with you the story about the Willmer family story. As I said, I do not know where the writer of it got the information.
Ps. This my big Willmer smokes very well, I often smoke it with a popular Italian chopping or with the Semois.
Edited by jvnshr: Picture link fixed.
None of my 20+ Willmers have any flaws in the stems, nor does the material seem appreciably more or less durable or resistant to oxidation than on other makes. I’m skeptical of the recycled rubber anecdote but stranger things have happened.
To my eye it appears that on the high grades their stems were hand cut. On their non-graded lines they may well be pre-molded. On my most often smoked Willmer I have no doubt that it has a pre-molded stem. I have several unsmoked Willmers, both graded and not, still in their original boxes, that may hold some clues. I’ll take a look later to see if there are any indications as to molded or cut.
Without a doubt Willmers varied quite a bit with respect to quality over time. I have several examples of one of their later models where the length of the stummel varies by up to a half inch between pipes.
Ultimately, except for those unsmoked examples I’ve found, all of my Willmers get a lot of use in the rotation and are dependable, enjoyable pipes. My most cosmetically flawed Willmer is perversely enough one of the best smokers in my entire collection.
I, of course, reserve the right to be completely full of it.
Ren
To my eye it appears that on the high grades their stems were hand cut. On their non-graded lines they may well be pre-molded. On my most often smoked Willmer I have no doubt that it has a pre-molded stem. I have several unsmoked Willmers, both graded and not, still in their original boxes, that may hold some clues. I’ll take a look later to see if there are any indications as to molded or cut.
Without a doubt Willmers varied quite a bit with respect to quality over time. I have several examples of one of their later models where the length of the stummel varies by up to a half inch between pipes.
Ultimately, except for those unsmoked examples I’ve found, all of my Willmers get a lot of use in the rotation and are dependable, enjoyable pipes. My most cosmetically flawed Willmer is perversely enough one of the best smokers in my entire collection.
I, of course, reserve the right to be completely full of it.
Ren
Harris asked me to do some research for him about Willmer and I was able, with an assist from Jon Guss, to pull together a facsimile their old website. Along the way I got the Charatan story from Barry Jones thru a mutual friend.
I took a look and I'd guess that 80% of my Willmers have pre-molded stems, regardless of grade.
The other 20% look to be hand cut but I could be wrong.
If anyone has any info on the Willmer brand please add to what people have posted here. Probably my favorite maker but largely a mystery to me, apart from the usual info in Pipedia etc.
Ren
The other 20% look to be hand cut but I could be wrong.
If anyone has any info on the Willmer brand please add to what people have posted here. Probably my favorite maker but largely a mystery to me, apart from the usual info in Pipedia etc.
Ren
I have 17 Willmers in total with 15 being AAA Straight Grains and 2 AA. I wouldn't know a molded stem if it bit me in the ass. One thing I do know is that the vulcanite they do use is way better than that of any Upshall I ever owned. Those suckers oxidize if they see sunlight and the Willmers do not. I have said it since I bought my first Willmer from Mike at Briar Blues, they use some of the best wood I have ever smoked. No matter how hard I push them, the things barely get warm.
I have some weird shapes among my collection that were most likely influenced by Charatan. Mine are mostly group 5-ODA and fairly heavy. Only a few of them are clenchers and I mostly smoke my aromatics in them.
I have some weird shapes among my collection that were most likely influenced by Charatan. Mine are mostly group 5-ODA and fairly heavy. Only a few of them are clenchers and I mostly smoke my aromatics in them.
I'm smoking my Willmer now with Tusge Raijin. For now I have only smoked one, but its briar is great while maintaining a good aroma of tobacco even if you smoke consecutively. I would still like to know more about their story: much has been said in the comments above, but if someone could translate the article that I linked above it would be very nice thing.
It’s great seeing Willmer getting some love the way they should, by being smoked. The funky, seemingly random indents and furrows cut into the stummel on many of their pipes suddenly reveal the brilliance when you hold the pipe. No matter how you tend to hold a pipe, those indents fall naturally under your fingers and give you an effortless grip. Meant to be used.
Definitely Charatan heritage in the lineup. I recall a website saying something like “From Charatan with love.” What Sable said earlier made that line make more sense.
I love my Willmers.
Definitely Charatan heritage in the lineup. I recall a website saying something like “From Charatan with love.” What Sable said earlier made that line make more sense.
I love my Willmers.
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