GBD Popular 397

GBD Popular 397

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.

Similar Posts

  • GBD Prince of Wales 8555

    England 1950-70s A very well made GBD pipe from the period before 1980 (in other words before the merge with Comoys under the Cadogans roof). Unique shape, great briar with amazing grain, transparent acrylic stem as a tribute to legendary perspex stems produced by GBD after the World War II – fantastic addition to every…

  • GBD Speciale 682

    France Yet another striking example of skills of the French GBD division. The company was the same on both coasts of the English Channel, but genuine French addiction to freedom of creativity and self-expression couldn’t be hidden under any regulations and corporate standards. And the result (especially in this case) is above any praises: the…

  • GBD Flame Grain 2871

    England, 1950-70s The grain is really remarkable! And the pipe itself comes from the very collectible and respected GBD period – it was made during the “Pre-Cadogan” times, before merge with Comoys is 1980. So there we have for you a lightweight, lightly smoked, nicely shaped witness of those great times!

  • GBD Concorde 124

    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…

  • GBD Virgin Collector 9589

    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 acquisition of the company by Cadogan. Very interesting nicely grained, large and imposing dublin sitter pipe.

One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *