England, 1950s
The history of the English pipe making, condition of the pipe and the sort of briar hint this pipe was made before the 1960s: the deep distinct sandblasted surface reminds Dunhill Tanshell and Shell pipes made within the period from the end of the WWII till the early 1960s. We believe that Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger (GBD) had the same issues with briar availability because of the political situation in the Mediterranean region and they were forced to use similar supply sources to refill the stock.
The pipe markings are “(GBD) \ …ular \ LONDON ENGLAND \ 397”. The length is 10.9 cm (4.29″) and the bowl’s height is 4.7 cm (1.85″). External diameter of the bowl is 3.2 cm (1.26″), internal diameter is 2.0 cm (0.79″). The depth is 4.0 cm (1.57″) and this pipe weighs 40 gr. Briar, vulcanite stem, aluminum air cooler. The pipe was accurately smoked and well preserved. The stem sits not too tight, but reliable.
