Netherlands, 1980s
Sooner or later, many pipe manufacturers come up with the idea of selling tobacco under their own brand. Dunhill, Peterson, and Ashton, among others, have done so, and the list could go on. Rarer, however, is the case where a pipe appears as an addition to an established tobacco brand, extending the trademark in the opposite direction. Notable examples include American Captain Black, Danish Mac Baren, and, in this case, the Dutch Amphora.
This pipe makes a delightful impression with its quality briar, precise craftsmanship, and skillful sandblasting. It’s no surprise, given that it was made at The Royal Dutch Pipe Factory Elbert Gubbels & Sons B.V., the birthplace of brands like Big-Ben, Humbry, Roermond, Royal Dutch, Thompson, and even Porsche Design, until the company’s closure in 2012. For more about the brand, there’s a great article on Reborn Pipes . As for Amphora tobacco, it continued production under the British-Dutch Imperial Tobacco.
One more thing: the number 728 on the pipe’s marking matches one found on a pipe represented at Reborn Pipes . We believe that 848 indicates the year and month of production, following a method similar to Pipe-Dan.
Pipe markings “GENUINE BRIAR \ AMPHORA – Holland”, “AMPHORA \ X-tra 728-848”
Length 14.0 cm (5.51″)
Bowl Height 5.5 cm (2.16″)
Outside Diameter 3.0 cm (1.18″)
Chamber Diameter 1.8 cm (0.71″)
Chamber Depth 4.5 cm (1.77″)
Weight 26 gr.
Briar, vulcanite stem, no filter. The stem is newly made of the fresh piece of vulcanite so we can consider the pipe as a “partially unsmoked” :-).
The pipe is not for sale. It was restored to order and has already started a new life in a new cozy home.
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