Denmark, 1970s Every work by Preben Holm — the brilliant Danish artisan and founder of the freehand pipe art — reveals a profound sensitivity to briar, along with a masterful use of its grain and structure to craft truly unique pieces. Today’s example also showcases his remarkable engineering intuition. Creating an object of such complex…
Italy Another striking and unique addition to our archive of Savinelli Autograph pipes — each one entirely handmade from the finest briar, rightfully standing as a point of pride for Italian artisans and a source of admiration (and envy) among collectors. Pipe markings “SAVINELLI \ AUTOGRAPH”, “5 \ ITALY”Length 16.6 cm (6.54″)Bowl Height 6.6 cm…
Italy Another striking and unique addition to our archive of Savinelli Autograph pipes — each one entirely handmade from the finest briar, rightfully standing as a point of pride for Italian artisans and a source of admiration (and envy) among collectors. Pipe markings “SAVINELLI \ AUTOGRAPH”, “4”, “ITALY”, “autograph”Length 17.1 cm (6.73″)Bowl Height 6.0 cm…
Italy Another striking and unique addition to our archive of Savinelli Autograph pipes — each one entirely handmade from the finest briar, rightfully standing as a point of pride for Italian artisans and a source of admiration (and envy) among collectors. Pipe markings “SAVINELLI \ AUTOGRAPH”, “0 \ ITALY”Length 15.7 cm (6.18″)Bowl Height 6.5 cm…
England, 1960-70s A very well-preserved example of the craftsmanship of Charatan’s carvers from the so-called “second Lane period” — spanning from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. Among the range of Charatan’s Distinction line, this piece confidently holds a high position—surpassed only by the top-tier Selected and Supreme grades. Pipe markings “L”, “CHARATAN’S MAKE \ LONDON….
England, 1950s This pipe clearly dates from the final years of Charatan’s “family” period: the shape number still appears on the same side as the rest of the nomenclature, and the circled “L” began to appear on Charatan’s pipes shortly before the company was acquired by Herman Lane, primarily on products exported to the USA….
England, 1980s Desmond Sautter was a reputable and successful London tobacconist based in Mayfair, able to commission pipes from the most famous English manufacturers. These makers were happy to add extra markings with the initials DS on the pipes—like this Tilshead pipe by James Upshall. As Ken Barnes, co-founder of James Upshall, recalls, the company…
England, 1980-90s The 1981 merger of Comoy’s and GBD into a single company under the management of the Oppenheimer Group (Cadogan) is viewed with mixed opinions. However, it’s hard to deny that the move spurred the introduction of new technologies and the creation of fresh, interesting series and shapes. One successful example is today’s Comoy’s…
Italy Another striking example of the creative vision of Italian artisan Roberto Ascorti is found in his famous New Dear series. The hallmark here is a deliberately rough rustication of the bowl paired with a polished shank and a glossy acrylic mouthpiece. A true collector’s item! Pipe markings “Ascorti\ NEW DEAR”, “KS”, “HAND MADE \…
USA, 1950s Let’s be honest: we usually expect practical, reasonably priced products of acceptable quality from Medico. That’s why it’s especially interesting—and unexpected—to present here a luxurious Medico pipe made of block meerschaum, skillfully crafted by well-known Austrian artisans. The exact manufacturer of these sepiolite pipes is unknown, but the list of likely candidates includes…