GBD

GBD Dr. Plumb Speciale H. Legrand

September 20, 2014February 1, 2019

France

This pipe’s got a lite touch of a mystery. Everyone knows that Dr.Plumb is a brand invented in 1925 by GBD for their middle range pipes and these Dr. Plumbs become soon very popular not only in France but on other markets as well. The appropriate production facilities were located in Saint-Clode area. But what means H.Legrand? Neither open sources nor pipe catalogs provide information about such a pipe manufacture. Finally we have found an old post card with a view on “Maroquinerie et pipes \ H. Legrand, 30, rue du Commerce”.

So it was an old good French tobacconist. And GBD has produced some pipes with a special nomenclature for a customer as it was popular at that time. The pipe has a very nice grain and is completed with a huge air cooler like other Dr.Plump pipes in the middle of XX century. We would recommend to put this air cooler part in the pipe separately – it serves also as a chamber bottom.

This pipe is marked “Dr.Plumb \ – SPECIALE – \ H.LEGRAND \ ROUEN”, “1102L”. The overall length is 14.2 cm, bowl’s hight is 4.0 cm. External and internal diameters of the bowl are 2.6 cm and 1.8 cm. The depth is 3.0 cm and this pipe weights 26gr. Briar, vulcanite stem, air cooler. The chamber has been protected with a break-in paste.

GBD
GBD Prodigy Straight Grain
January 28, 2022January 28, 2022
England, 1960-70s A very high grade GBD pipe marked both “Prodigy” and “Straight grain” made approximately between the late 1960s and late 1970s most probably by Horry Jamieson (ex Barling carver), who was experienced in freehand design and created many amazing “Collector” and “Unique” pipes for GBD. A decent response to Danish artisans!
Read More GBD Prodigy Straight Grain
GBD
GBD Concorde 124
November 24, 2015January 27, 2019
France Today it’s difficult to say whether carvers from the French GBD factory were impressed by a design and image of the legendary supersonic liner, or aircraft designers were inspired by a stylish design and excellent qualities of GBD Concorde pipes. Anyway both the liner and the pipe are works of art and awesome examples of the…
Read More GBD Concorde 124
GBD
GBD (Flame Grain) Reject
April 21, 2016January 14, 2019
England A rare, amazing and really lightly smoked example of GBD pipes art before the merge with Comoy’s. It’s difficult to say why the pipe was marked as a “Reject” – except a small darkening on the chamber’s bottom apparently there’s nothing.
Read More GBD (Flame Grain) Reject
GBD
GBD Virgin 392
April 21, 2016January 14, 2019
England, 1950-70s One of the top graded GBD pipes. The Virgin series followed their famous Pedigree, Prodigy and Straight Grain grades. The pipe was made in 1970s the latest, before the merge with Comoy’s by Cadogan. Amazing grain, wonderful classical billiard shape, stylish perspex stem! This is the really pleasant pipe!
Read More GBD Virgin 392
GBD
GBD Prehistoric 9491
April 21, 2016January 14, 2019
England, 1950-70s A striking example of the desperate and wild “prehistoric” sandblast from GBD. This quite tall billiard was made before 1980, i.e. before the merge of the company with Comoy’s under a roof of Cadogan’s. Therefore the pipe is interesting by both the period of birth and belonging to this cult series. And the…
Read More GBD Prehistoric 9491
GBD
GBD New Standard 1964
April 21, 2016January 14, 2019
England, 1950-70s There was probably no other such creative and innovative manufacturer offering that variety of shapes and grades. For example, while at the end of the XIX century GBD catalogues offered more than 1500 models, in the second half of XX century a shape number 9889 didn’t surprise nobody. And of course, in our…
Read More GBD New Standard 1964