G. W. SIMS freehand

England, 1970s

This is one of the most striking and expressive freehand pipes by G.W. Sims that we’ve had the pleasure of handling. A truly organic blend of form, briar grain, and luxurious plateau—unsurprising for an artisan often referred to as the ‘most Danish of English pipe makers’ and the father of English freehands.

At the same time, the shape reflects influences from the Charatan tradition (as Mr. Sims spent many years working for the company before starting his own business) and shares similarities with high-grade Orlik pipes. For instance, we once featured this remarkable Orlik Special Grain in our collection. This lends credence to the claim that G.W. Sims may have collaborated with Orlik at some point in his career.

Pipe markings “G.W. SIMS \ LONDON MADE”
Length 15.0 cm (5.9″)
Bowl Height 6.5 cm (2.56″)
Outside Diameter 4.6 cm (2.2″)
Chamber Diameter 2.5 cm (0.98″)
Chamber Depth 5.3 cm (2.09″)
Weight 72 gr.

Briar, vulcanite stem, no filter. We had to fix several more and less noticeable scratches and dents on the bowl.

The pipe was accurately smoked, it has been thoroughly cleaned, polished, sanitized and now is ready for a new life.