James Upshall S Grade Smooth Bent Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of whom had previously worked for Charatan and who had worked their way up to being carvers Charatan’s higher-end, non-standard shapes. Jones and Barnes’ pipes quickly grew to being something of a status symbol, and were enjoyed by King Hussein of Jordan, Anwar Sadat, Bing Crosby, Yul Brynner, Robert Wagner and Tom Selleck. The company also made house-brand pipes for Astleys in London. Sadly, James Upshall pipes are no longer made, but their reputation as some of the finest handmade British pipes lives on.

Of all of the James Upshall pipes we’ve received recently, this one is certainly one of the most peculiar. It’s a classic, large bent billiard—and a very beautiful one at that—but the finish is a light, natural stain over a smooth polished stummel. Why is that peculiar? Well, it’s stamped as an “S” grade, and S grade Upshalls were typically given a ruby red finish, reminiscent of the early Dunhill Bruyere line. As it lacks a size grade, this is definitely an early James Upshall. Perhaps it was made before stain used on the S grade was settled for good.

The condition is fair. Rim darkening and a small amount of charring on the inner lip of the chamber, and some handling marks.

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 1.03 / 26.16mm

Bowl Depth: 1.63″ / 41.40mm

Weight: 2.6oz / 76g