19th c. CPF Best Make Real Amber w/ Gold Filigree Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

The Colossus Pipe Factory, known by its initials C.P.F., is a make that is – as of yet – still a little shrouded in mystery. What is known is that the make was established in 1851 and that it was owned by Kaufman Bros & Bondy (later of Kaywoodie fame) by at least 1898. It is also understood that the make disappeared, and was therefore likely discontinued, at some point between the mid- to late-1910s, with the exact year still under debate.

Unraveling the history of these CPF pipes we’ve had in recently has been a blast. As I mentioned in a previous listing, I was able to find out – thanks to a small, ancient piece of paper tucked into one of the CPF pipes’ bowls – that the make was founded in 1851. This, coupled with the more extensive work done by Steve Laug and his interlocutors on the Reborn Pipes blog, allowed me to narrow down a relatively specific period in time when these pipes were made, starting 1851 and ending at some point between 1884 and 1898. After the 1884-1898 window, Kaufman Bros & Bondy absorbed CPF and the KBB emblem was added to CPF pipes, which neither this nor those previous ones show any trace of. This, therefore, is a guaranteed 19th century pipe, and certainly not a low-end one either. From its amber stem, to its (presumably electro-plated) gold filigree mountings, to its fitted clam-shell case, this CPF will have been intended to charm and to please.

This pipe is completely unsmoked. In fact, it still has its guarantee inside the bowl. As with other pipes of this vintage I’ve sold, I willl note that, for buyers, I would advise handling the pipe with more care than the average briar. Amber is a little more brittle than the ebonite or acrylic used for modern pipe stems, and the tenon on this one looks like it may be bone, which is more brittle than Delrin and the other tenon materials used today.

 

Details:

Length: 4.4″ / 111.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.73 / 18.54mm

Bowl Depth: 1.33″ / 33.78mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 48g