Sasieni Four Dot Rustic Warwick Rusticated Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Along with names like Barling, Charatan, and Dunhill Sasieni holds a special place in the history of English smoking pipes – one near to its very beginnings. So the story goes, Sasieni himself worked for Dunhill during its early days. But eventually he left Dunhill, having his own ideas about how pipes should be made, and founded Sasieni. This was 1919, and Sasieni has been the closest thing to a household name in English pipes ever since.

After a protracted legal battle with Dunhill over the use of dotted stem inlays, Joel Sasieni began using light-blue dots – in contrast to Dunhill’s single white spot – to indicate the quality of his pipes. This remained constant for the entirety of the pre-transition, family era of Sasieni’s ownership, to which this pipe belongs. The Four Dot pipes were Sasieni’s highest-grade output at the time of this one’s production, underneath which were Two Dots, and then the sub-brand pipes, such as the Fantail or the Old England. Those unfamiliar with Sasieni may then be wondering “how would a rusticated pipe such as this be awarded the same, high grade status of a Four Dot as a smooth one?” From handling a fair few rusticated Sasienis in my time, the key seems to be, oddly enough, in the grain. When Sasieni’s craftsmen rusticated their pipes, they tended to follow the natural grain patterns of the briar used. This would appear to be how a pipe such as this one ended up with a finish that, at a glance, might be mistaken for a ring grain sandblast. Based on the stamping, including the Warwick shape designation, and eponymous four dots on the stem, this pipe would be from the post-war family era of Sasieni’s production, putting it between the late-1950s and 1979.

The condition is great. A little darkening/finish smoothing on the rim. I rarely come across Four Dots in as good a condition as this one.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.75 / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 1.48″ / 37.59mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 32g