Astleys Rusticated Bullcap Rhodesian 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 best of British pipes.

This might be one of the most distinctive Astleys pipes I’ve had my hands on. It’s a Rhodesian, but a decidedly squat one that could reasonably be called a “bullcap” in the American mold. While it isn’t as wide and imposing as something from, say, LHS, it certainly mixes things up a little as far as Anglo-French standards go. I would imagine this to have been made by Barry Jones, as he did have a history with novel Rhodesian designs (see, for example, his Countryman for Charatan and James Upshall).

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

 

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.15″ / 29.21mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 52g