HARDCASTLE’S 192 Curacao; N. A. (unsmoked)

England, 1954

A very unusual unsmoked Hardcastle’s pipe from the period between 1946 and 1967. That was a really great time for this brand: the company belonged already completely to Dunhill, but keeped family management and production traditions. The bamboo shank makes this pipe absolutely attractive and absolutely rare and the shield with the engraved “Curacao; N.A.” hints that it’s most probably a presentation pipe dedicated to joining in 1954 Curaçao with the other Dutch colonies in the Caribbean into the Netherlands Antilles (consequently they obtained some degree of autonomy). So the bamboo shank looks very much to the point.

The pipe markings are “HARDCASTLE’S \ MADE IN LONDON \ ENGLAND”, “CURACAO; N.A.”. The length is 14.7 cm (5.79″), and the bowl’s height is 4.3 cm (1.69″). External diameter of the bowl is 3.4 cm (1.34″), internal diameter is 1.9 cm (0.75″). The depth is 3.8 cm (1.5″) and this pipe weighs 32 gr. Briar, vulcanite stem, no filter. The logo on the stem is discolored, but still visible under a good light. The previous owner sent the pipe to us not really well packed, therefore we had to recover the tennon and armor it with a piece of an internal metallic tube, you hardly could notice that. The pipe is not smoked.