Astleys Meerschaum Lined Bent Billiard 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 Dolly Wood of Ferndown, 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 a little different than I’m used to, though not entirely out of the ordinary. Most Astleys pipes that come through the estates pipeline are modern, i.e., those made in Astleys’ later years by the likes of Ferndown, James Upshall, Dunhill, etc., but this one appears a little older. A quick look through the Astleys catalogs shows that the Bentleys did offer meerschaum lined house-brand pipes until at least the 1970s, and in fact offered a service to line briars that were not already fitted with meerschaum chambers. The button on this one is a little more old fashioned—a little orific, though not entirely—so I do wonder if it might be a mid-century piece. Curious, and, of course, beautiful.

The condition is very good. Some minor oxidation on the vulcanite stem.

 

Details:

Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 1.85″ / 46.99mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 46g