Ferndown Bark 2 Star Silver Spigot Poker Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Ferndown pipes were made by the legendary British pipe-maker Leslie ‘Les’ John Wood, along with his wife Dolly. Both Les and Dolly previously worked for Dunhill, where Les developed his skills and reputation as Britain’s premier pipe silversmith. After leaving Dunhill, Les and Dolly began making their own pipes, with their combined knowledge and experience, yielding pipes of a quality that, arguably, exceeded even that of their former employer. Ferndown pipes are highly coveted by pipe-smokers due to their superlative craftsman(and woman!)ship, being constructed from high-grade, oil-cured briar, hand cut ebonite, and, in many cases, sterling silver or solid gold ornamentation turned by Les himself. Les and Dolly retired from pipe-making in 2016, making Ferndown pipes rather scarce – especially given how difficult it is to get their owners to part with them.

When I think of the “signature shapes” made by Les and Dolly Wood for Ferndown, the two that first come to mind are their Dublins and their pokers. While it’s true that their bulldogs were also magnificent, there’s something about how sturdy and muscular their Dublins and pokers were that really set these pipes apart from just about any other maker. And if there’s one thing that makes a Ferndown poker even more of a Ferndown poker, it’s Les’s silverwork. This one features a beautiful—and not too common—sterling silver spigot mount. It is dressed Les & Dolly’s unique “Bark” finish, pairing smooth polished sections on the rim and base, pairing ultrafine, split-drill rustication with smooth polished sections. If you’d like to learn more about the process behind the unique Ferndown approach to rustication, please see our interview with Les on the main MBSD hub. It is both fascinating and, if I’m honest, somewhat terrifying.

The condition is very good. Some slight wear to the rim and very minor scratches on the base of the bowl.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.82 / 20.82mm

Bowl Depth: 1.71″ / 43.43mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 42g