PIPES

As Pipedia notes, “G.W. Sims was one of the few English pipe makers who produced Danish style freehands carved from specially selected plateau briar. Mr. Sims willingly made pipes to personal specifications”.

Today, we have the pleasure of presenting an example of just such work by the former Charatan’s carver and later an independent London artisan. Everything is as promised — both Danish style and plateau briar. It is also evident that the customer appreciated the pipe, as it shows signs of having been smoked very carefully and with affection.

Di seguito la traduzione in italiano / Italian translation is below

American artisans from Kaywoodie have always delighted collectors with a generous variety of shapes and finishes — sometimes simply pleasant and utilitarian, sometimes extremely apt and thoughtful. And, of course, our today’s Ruf-Tone belongs to such the brightest and most successful: the artificially aged, contrasting finish combined with deep rustication is literally mesmerizing, and the carefully chosen shapes create the illusion of a deep-sea monster… or a creature from deep space.

The aluminum stinger with three holes and the logo application on the mouthpiece hint that this pipe was made at the end of the last century, most likely in the 1980s. This assumption is also confirmed by our sources: the Ruf-Tone series was launched in 1977.

Di seguito la traduzione in italiano / Italian translation is below

A vivid and elegant example of cooperation between two good old Dutch companies:

Douwe Egberts, the grocery giant which, since 1753, has supplied Dutch and international consumers with tea, coffee, and fine tobaccos — most notably Amphora, a blend popular not only in the Netherlands but also overseas.

Elbert Gubbels & Sons B.V., established in 1870 (and since 1972 also known as The Royal Dutch Pipe Factory) — the home of Big Ben, Bugatti, Hilson, Porsche Design pipes, and of course, Amphora.

We would date today’s pipe to the 1960s, based on its design, overall condition, its provenance from a collection of that era.

Interestingly, the later history of both Amphora brands turned out to be quite eventful. Douwe Egberts’ tobacco division was sold to Imperial Tobacco in 1988, and in 2015 it passed to the Danish company Mac Baren, which — judging by feedback from both casual smokers and experts — breathed new life into Amphora.
Elbert Gubbels & Sons B.V. went bankrupt in 2012, but the production of Amphora pipes was taken over by Dr. Grabow — now offering new and interesting shapes, though naturally without the traditional ‘Holland’ stamping.

Di seguito la traduzione in italiano / Italian translation is below