Astleys Rusticated Bent Pot Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Astleys was one of London’s 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.

With its diamond shank and high saddle, this Astleys looks strikingly similar to Charatan’s shape 89 bent pot (seen commonly as the 89DC during the Lane era), which would be surprising, if Astleys pipes had not, at one time, been made by Barry Jones. Barry Jones worked for Charatan for many years before leaving to co-found James Upshall, and Charatan’s shapes and styles feature prominently in pipes from his Upshall days, which is most likely where this pipe fits into the picture.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening and minor finish fading.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.45″ / 36.83mm

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g