Loewe & Co. 1981 Mounted R 917 Smooth Lovat Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Like so many classic names in English pipe making, Loewe & Co. was founded by a Frenchman, Emil Loewe, in 1856, in London’s Haymarket street. Though not as well-known as contemporaries such as Comoy’s or GBD, Loewe—sometimes referred to as L&Co.—pipes have long held a place in the hearts of pipe collectors, especially collectors of the great Anglo-French makes.

We don’t get many Loewe & Co. pipes come in through our estates program, which makes me wonder if their owners simply don’t want to part with them. In any case, the ones that I have seen have typically been superb pipes. This silver mounted Lovat, from the appropriately named Mounted line, is no exception, especially with the quite stunning bird’s-eye grain surrounding its bowl. The silver hallmarks on this one would indicate that it was made in 1981. The history of Loewe & Co. and its ownership is a subject of contention among collectors, but my understanding is that this pipe will have been made before Cadogan Investments merged Loewe’s production with its other acquired pipe brands (Comoy’s, GBD, BBB, etc.).

The condition is good. Some wear to the rim, including a few spots of char on the inner lip of the chamber.

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.83 / 21.08mm

Bowl Depth: 1.67″ / 42.41mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g