Barling’s Make Ye Olde Wood Fossil 266 EXEXEL TVF Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Barling and Sons was originally founded in 1812 by Benjamin Barling and began as a family business making silver-adorned meerschaum pipes. In the early 20th century, however, the Barling family began to produce what the brand is today most famous for – expertly made briar pipes.

For those that don’t know, Barling pipes can be roughly divided into periods of manufacture, with the earliest period, during which the Barling family themselves owned B. Barling and Sons and made its Barling pipes, being prized and highly sought after by collectors. This pipe belongs to the “family era” before the “transition era” between 1960-3 and the “post-transition” era after that.

While there are many reasons that Family Era “Barling’s Make” are so highly valued, the one most evident on this pipe is the approach to sandblasting the Barling family used. It’s a deep, craggy, tactile blast, perfectly drawing out a ring grain from the briar used, an approach that inspired master artisans such as J. T. Cooke almost over half a century later. This is an EXEXEL rendition of the “Fossil” sandblast, as it would ultimately come to be called, making it an especially large offering from the storied English make.

The condition is very good. There’s some darkening and very minor char on the inner rim. The stem is a professional replacement, which I have reflected in the price.

In case you’ve missed it, we have a comprehensive Barling dating guide you can read here.

https://www.mbsdpipes.com/dating-barling-pipes-a-three-step-guide/

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.88 / 22.35mm

Bowl Depth: 1.72″ / 43.68mm

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g