Sasieni Mayfair 55, Smooth Straight Billiard Estate Briar Pipe [SOLD OUT]

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.

Sasieni’s most famous pipes were their Four Dot range. These were the pinnacle of their manufacturing output. Below the Four Dot came the Two Dot pipes, which were exceptional, but not quite as exceptional as the Four Dots. Then, below the Two Dots, were other lines, including the Mayfair. And so on. Sasieni had singularly high standards for their pipes, so a bronze medal in this example is no less a medal. This particular pipe, a Mayfair in the shape of Sasieni’s traditional ’55’ billiard, is a large but beautiful offering from the London make. The grain is marvelous, with bird’s-eyes galore, accentuated by a light, blonde-brown stain. Judging by the nomenclature, this pipe would appear to be a pre-transition, family era pipe, but I can’t be 100% sure.

The condition is excellent. There’s some minor rim darkening on the inner lip, which is somewhat inevitable given that it is slightly beveled, and there is some light tooth chatter and residual stem oxidation, but the pipe is otherwise quite spotless.

 

Details:

Length: 6.4″

Bowl Width: 21.8mm

Bowl Depth: 1.6″

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g