Unknown Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

This pipe was a mystery for me. A big mystery, actually. It’s a freehand – a large one at that – but I have not been able to find out who made it. Normally, when I can’t find out who made a pipe, I look up the trusty resources provided by Pipephil and Pipedia, but I couldn’t find anything there that seemed conclusive. I also asked colleagues, friends who are pipe historians and collectors, and pipe forums to see if I could identify the maker, but they didn’t know either. The only stamping on the pipe takes the form of two marks that look like a lowercase “r” or “t” that are mirrored, as you can see in the pictures. I’m inclined to think it’s from an American carver, based on the style, but it could be from anywhere, really. It’s well made, with plenty of bird’s-eye, a natural finish that shows off these grain patterns, and a beaded stem that looks to be hand cut. If anyone reading this knows who made it and can provide something by way of proof, I’m happy to give an MBSD voucher in return.

The pipe is completely unsmoked.

 

Details:

Length: 5.7″ / 144.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.74 / 18.79mm

Bowl Depth: 1.94″ / 49.27mm

Weight: 1.7oz / 50g