Ferndown Bark 3 Star Silver Spigot Poker Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Ferndown pipes were made by the legendary British pipe-maker Leslie ‘Les’ John Wood, along with his wife Dolly. Both Les and Dolly previously worked for Dunhill, where Les developed his skills and reputation as Britain’s premier pipe silversmith, as well as one of its premier pipe carvers. Ferndown pipes are highly coveted by pipe-smokers due to their superlative craftsman(and woman!)ship, whose bowls are oil-cured and which typically feature beautiful silverwork. Sadly, Les and Dolly retired from pipe-making in 2016, making Ferndown pipes rather scarce – especially given how difficult it is to get their owners to part with them.

When I think of the “signature shapes” made by Les and Dolly Wood for Ferndown, the two that first come to mind are their Dublins and their pokers. While it’s true that their bulldogs were also magnificent, there’s something about how sturdy and muscular their Dublins and pokers were that really set these pipes apart from just about any other maker. And if there’s one thing that makes a Ferndown poker even more of a Ferndown poker, it’s Les’s silverwork. This one features a beautiful, and not too common, sterling silver spigot mount. It is dressed in the “Bark” finish, pairing smooth polished sections on the rim and base, with the remainder of the stummel hand-rusticated. These pipes always reminded me more than a little of Dunhill’s mid-century Shell Briar cherrywoods, which isn’t surprising given where Les and Dolly started.

The condition is excellent. There’s a small amount of inner rim darkening, but it’s minimal. This pipe came to us via our trade-in program, all the way from a gentleman in Spain. If you’re wondering what the “PIPAFORO 2011” stamping indicates, it’s that Les and Dolly made this as a pipe of the year for a Spanish-language pipe forum.

 

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.57″ / 39.87mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g