Astleys of London Smooth Straight Pot Estate Briar Pipe [SOLD]

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.

Here we have another genuinely gorgeous pipe from the Astleys tobacconist. It is a very traditional pot shape – though it is a little wider than is convention – with a beautiful, golden brown stain that reminds me of Dunhill’s Amber Root finish, but also James Upshall’s ‘P’ grade pipes. Classic shapes like this one are always a bit of a mystery when it comes to the provenance of an Astleys pipe. But, I wouldn’t say that matters too much when a pipe looks as nice as this one does. The straight grain is particularly excellent, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was hand-made in a workshop, rather than made in a factory setting. It’s also surprisingly lightweight, at 38 grams, so veteran smokers may find it suitable as a clenching pipe, especially with its comfortable ebonite stem.

The condition is near-mint. It’s clearly been well-looked after.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.93 / 23.62mm

Bowl Depth: 1.39″ / 35.30mm

Weight: 1.3oz / 38g