Astleys Smooth Dublin Sitter Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Astleys was one of London’s most historic pipe and tobacco shops. Like many pipe tobacconists, its owners had pipes made specially to be sold under the shop’s name. Astleys pipes, however, were made by some of the premier pipe manufacturers and artisans in the UK, such as Dunhill, Charatan, Les Wood, and Ken Barnes and Barry Jones of James Upshall. As a result, Astleys pipes are prized for their quality, and as examples of the very finest British pipes.

This Astleys is very reminiscent of Charatan. From its vase-like Dublin bowl to its raised, panel shank, this curious sitter design could easily have come from Charatan’s freehand workshop. But, for those same reasons, it could just as easily have come from Barnes and Jones at James Upshall, given their previous employment at said workshop. It must have been one of the two, but either way, its manufacture was certainly in safe hands.

The condition is very good. Some minor wear to the rim.

 

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.91 / 23.11mm

Bowl Depth: 1.27″ / 32.25mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 42g