INVICTA by COLIN FROMM

England, 1970s

Colin Fromm belongs “to the small number of English pipe artisans skilled in making high-end freehand shapes” (c) pipedia. Invicta was Colin’s first major project since 1974 when the ownership of Medway Pipe Repair changed to Colin Leeson, along with the company name becoming Invicta Briars. However, Colin soon shifted his focus to the Castleford brand. In the early 2000s, he was invited by Dunhill to manage the production of the re-purchased Charatan’s brand. Simultaneously, Invicta became a production base for legendary brands currently owned by Dunhill – Charatan’s, H. Simmons, and Hardcastles.

Here we have a rare and compelling example of Colin’s craftsmanship from the 1970s – a large, refined, and slightly “Charatanish” freehand pipe with distinctive straight grain.

Pipe markings “INVICTA \ ENGLAND”, “HAND MADE \ BY \ COLIN FROMM”
Length 17.5 cm (6.89″)
Bowl Height 6.1 cm (2.4″)
Outside Diameter 4.8 cm (1.89″)
Chamber Diameter 2.3 cm (0.9″)
Chamber Depth 4.7 cm (1.85″)
Weight 74 gr.
Briar, vulcanite stem, no filter. The drilling is slightly off center.

The pipe was accurately smoked, it has been thoroughly cleaned, polished, sanitized and now is ready for a new life.