Hilson Epoque Largo 108 Sandblasted Dublin Estate Briar Pipe, Belgian Estates

Description

Hilson is something of an outlier in the pipe world, in that it is a successful company not from England, Denmark, France, the USA, or indeed any of the countries typically associated with pipe-making. Instead, Hilson is a pipe company that began in Belgium. Hilson was founded by the Hillen family in Bree in the late 19th century and went on to achieve considerable success during the mid-20th, before being bought out by Dutch company Gubbels. Given its geographical location, it should be no surprise that Hilson’s designs bear a mixture of French, German, and Danish influence. Before his passing, legendary artisan Rainer Barbi also designed pipes for the Belgian make. 

One of the reason I love selling estate pipes is that I am constantly encountering uncommon specimens from pipe history. Take this Hilson: it’s already something of a novelty, given that Hilson is a lesser-known make originating in Belgium of all places. But this Hilson caught my attention because it is actually from around the mid-20th century, back when Hilson pipes were made in Belgium, before being absorbed by Gubbels and production moved to the Netherlands. While “family era” Hilsons will likely never attract the same attention as family era Barlings or Sasieni pipes, I found it pretty interesting. The pipe itself is also a really nice, large sandblasted Dublin. The finish is very craggy, and the blast has largely been focused on bird’s-eye sections of the grain, creating a subtle contrast effect through the resulting texture.

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

 

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.96 / 24.38mm

Bowl Depth: 2.00″ / 50.80mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 62g