GBD New Era 508 unsmoked
England, 1950-70s
The New Era series has been a constant presence in catalogs and guides from at least the 1930s through the 1970s, during the most respected periods of the company’s history. Over the years, New Era pipes were positioned either among the top grades or in a segment well above average, meaning they were never considered simple, inexpensive working tools. It was therefore especially pleasant to find a pipe from this series in an unsmoked condition.
Pipe markings “(GBD) \ NEW ERA”, “LONDON ENGLAND \ 508”
Length 14.0 cm (5.51″)
Bowl Height 4.7 cm (1.85″)
Outside Diameter 3.7 cm (1.46″)
Chamber Diameter 2.0 cm (0.79″)
Chamber Depth 4.2 cm (1.65″)
Weight 47 gr.
Briar, vulcanite stem, no filter.
We have thoroughly inspected this pipe and can confidently confirm it is unsmoked. There is no odor from the chamber, shank, or stem, and no traces of tar. The bottom of the mortise is completely clean. While the bowl surface and the mouthpiece show a few minor scratches and dings, we chose to preserve the original finish. The centering of the air channel may appear slightly imperfect to the meticulous eye, but it was clearly acceptable under the manufacturer’s quality control standards of the 1950s–70s.
