GBD Collector Virgin 9671 Smooth Sitter Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates
Out of stock
Description
GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with classic ‘British’ pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories in London and Paris to meet an increasing demand for the make’s high-quality and highly desirable pipes. Partly owing to the make’s inventive, yet traditional shapes, and partly due to the high standards of their production, GBD pipes are particularly coveted by collectors, as well as those who simply appreciate classic, well-made smoking instruments.
Four interesting things strike me about this GBD. The first is that it is a Collector size grade which, along with the Conquest and the Colossus, was one of GBD’s designations for over-sized versions of their standard shapes. The second is that it is from the Virgin line, which featured a light brown, almost naked stain, anf for which only stummels with the most exceptional grain patterns were selected as a consequence. The third is its perspex stem, which became something of a signature for GBD in the mid-century. The last is the shape, which I’ve never quite worked out how to categorize. It’s a broad-based sitter, not entirely unlike a poker, which also features an eighth-bent paneled shank that begins unlike most pokers, at the very bottom of the bowl. Is it a poker? A foursquare? A quaint billiard? I’ll let you decide. What’s certain is that this is a pre-1980, pre-Cadogan merger pipe, based on the stamping and rondelle.
The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening, minor handling marks.
Details:
Length: 6″ / 152.4mm
Bowl Width: 0.94 / 23.87mm
Bowl Depth: 1.53″ / 38.86mm
Weight: 1.9oz / 54g
Additional information
Weight | 15 oz |
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Condition | Used |
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Notes | Restored |