MEDICO meerschaum

USA, 1950s

Let’s be honest: we usually expect practical, reasonably priced products of acceptable quality from Medico. That’s why it’s especially interesting—and unexpected—to present here a luxurious Medico pipe made of block meerschaum, skillfully crafted by well-known Austrian artisans. The exact manufacturer of these sepiolite pipes is unknown, but the list of likely candidates includes Strambach, Franz Hiess & Söhne, Andreas Bauer (less likely), and most likely Paul Fischer—an Austrian craftsman who later settled in Manhattan, New York, where S. M. Frank & Co., the owner of the Medico trademark, was also based.

The original design featuring an air channel under the chamber (“underbore”) and a metal filter grille suggests that the pipe is of considerable age—we would date it to the 1950s, perhaps even earlier.

Pipe markings “MEDICO \ 1/20 14K G.F. \ MADE IN AUSTRIA”
Length 15.0 cm (5.9″)
Bowl Height 4.8 cm (1.89″)
Outside Diameter 4.3 cm (1.69″)
Chamber Diameter 2.3 cm (0.9″)
Chamber Depth 3.5 cm (1.38″)
Weight 62 gr.

Meerschaum, vulcanite stem, no filter.

The pipe is not for sale. It was restored to order and has already started a new life in a new cozy home.