Ferndown Bark 3 Star Panel Bent Billiard 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.

Ferndown’s Bark finish was typically applied to the entirety of the stummel, aside from the rim, which tended to be left smooth. In the case of paneled shapes, this rule was a little more relaxed, with a greater mixture of the two finishes to be found in such pipes. For this one, I think I can see why. as the un-“barked” (as Les calls it) front panels showcase beautiful bird’s-eye grain, while also not breaking the design’s fundamental symmetry.

The condition is very good. Some rim darkening and a couple of nicks at the top of the chamber from prior reaming. This pipe came to us via our consignment program, details of which are available upon the main MBSD hub or upon request.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.88 / 22.35mm

Bowl Depth: 1.82″ / 46.22mm

Weight: 2.8oz / 80g