Agreed @RockyMountainBriar Never occurred to me the similarities, and I have 2 Nonpareils... If there's any difference, I would guess the Mastersen has a VERY slightly thinner bowl. But it so close I would probably have to used my micrometer to know for sure... Also, the stem end of the shank extension is shaped and finished a little differently...
@KA9FFJ What are the two pipes, The Liverpool second down on the left and the Canadian fourth down on the right? They both look like pretty nice pipes too.Yello-Bole or maybe Kaywoodie’s too?
TL;DR: found a patent Dunhill Shell at an antique store in excellent shape for $18.00.
For nearly twenty years it was my dream to find a ridiculously cheap Dunhill at a flea market or an antique store. I only make $23/hr so a new Dunhill is kinda out of my price range - I could buy one, sure, but there would be bills that would not get paid, and while I buy a new tin or five or tobacco a week (stocking up before the incoming administration takes office and raises taxes on tobacco again - politicians love taxes and love taxes on tobacco no matter if they’re a Republican or a Democrat) I’ve never really been the type of guy that could justify dropping $500 on something that I want - heck, I only got a PS4 this past April when I was able to get a great deal on it.
It always seemed like an impossible dream, but two or three years ago my now ex-girlfriend and I stopped at some of the local antique stores. This one store in particular always carries some pipes, usually Grabows that they vastly overcharge for - I happen to love the good Doctor, but why would I pay $50 for a used, chewed-up Dr. Grabow when I could buy two of them brand new from their mailbox service?
But there was one pipe that caught my eye. It was a small pipe with a small bowl, but it had a certain white dot on the stem...to my utter amazement, shock, and absolute joy I realized that it was a Dunhill Shell Patent (the patent is for the 1920s and the 1940s; I believe that this one was made in the early years of 1940-ish because it lacks the quotation marks that seems to have usually been around “Shell” on the ones made in the 1920s) and my joy turned into a shriek of happiness when I saw that they only wanted $18.00 for it.
Yes, seriously - two dollars shy of twenty smackers. I don’t believe that I had been that happy since my only child was born almost 21 years ago now!
Even though it was over 70 years old it was in excellent shape and was only ever lightly smoked; perhaps less than five times was it ever smoked. I sent it off to Rick at Briarville Restorations and paid $40 (if I remember the price correctly) for him to send it back looking like it had just been made that day - side note: I definitely recommend Briarville’s restoration services and I keep meaning but forgetting to send him a bunch more estate pipes that need work.
The only thing wrong with the pipe was that the white spot itself was in poor shape and he had to replace it with a new piece. Other than the white spot itself the pipe is completely original. These pictures are post-restoration; if I still have the pre-restoration pictures of the pipe I’ll post them next.
Sometimes dreams really do come true. Now my goal is to find a Sixten, Lars, or Nanna Ivarrson for dirt cheap as well because that’s literally the only way that I’ll ever be able to afford one of their pipes!!
You guys are pretty damn lucky. Since Covid there have been minimal outdoor or indoor Flea Markets here in my area. And for the most part the little antique shops seem, to be closed.
I occasionally find Dunhill's in my wandering around antique/junk malls and shops but usually they are way overpriced for the condition the pipe is in.
I have a 1926 Dunhill Bruyere Innertube patent number. I spent more money than I normally spend on a new pipe to have a new Dunhill stem made for it but it was worth the money.
Either post a clear photo of the stamping or the exact wording and numbers on the pipe and I will see if I can pinpoint the year for you. I can't read what is in the photos because of the glare and because the stamping gets too fuzzy when I enlarge the photos.
Dunhill uses a suffix number either after Made in England or after the Patent Number to identify the year. The suffix number is always smaller than the other numbers or letters.
I don't see a suffix number after "Dunhill Shell Made in England" so the pipe was made before 1942. From 1925 through 1941, the Dunhill Shells, Tanshell, Redbark and Cumberland finished pipes had a suffix number after the patent number.
For the years 1925-34 other patent numbers were sometimes used in place of 119708/17 & 116989/17 for Dunhill pipes. I'm guessing at the exact patent number but I think it's 1341418/20. That means your pipe was made during that time frame for the U.S. market.
@PappyJoe I found this interesting article and I think that my Dunhill is most likely one of the Shells made during WWII which, while maybe not quite as awesome as having been made during the 1920’s, is still pretty awesome.
@RondyR Interesting read about the Dunhill WWII pipes.
I used to use Briarville for occasional pipe work I didn't want to do myself but I haven't used them since the company changed ownership. The new guy does good work for the prices he charges but when I had to replace the stem on my 1926, I sent it to a specialist here in the U.S. that only does high end collectible pipes. The vulcanite he uses for stems is the same as what Dunhill uses and he even replaces the white dot. He takes the extra time to make sure the fit of the stem to briar is perfect. He also charges a lot more than Briarville.
Anyway, I have emailed George with the details about the stamping on your pipe. He may be able to provide some more information.
@RondyR Sorry. I've been a little tied up with "seasonal" events. George didn't know but he said, "
I do know that WWII produced a lot of oddities. I have a 1943 that I thought was a 1953 for thirty years (my birth year), and only learned otherwise by accident. A certain stamp combination was the key, not a particular stamp or lack of one.
Anyway, your best bet is to post some clear pics on Kevin's forum with the header, "Calling the Duke Street Irregulars" (it's a play on Sherlock Holmes' "Baker Street Irregulars"). There are guys who live for that stuff, and if an answer CAN be found, they'll do it."
The forum he referenced is another pipe smoking forum. If you can post some clearer pictures of all the stamping, then i will post it on the other forum as George suggested. The key will be to take some better pictures of the pipe...
No apology needed at all, my dude. You’re free to take as long as you wished to get back to me! I appreciate you looking into it. Are you talking about Kevin Godbee’s forums or a different one? I will try to take some better pictures, but my iPhone 11 Pro Max that supposedly has the best camera available on any phone likes to take super-blurry pictures when I try to get zoomed in to the stamping.
Had a rare antique store find and score yesterday. I managed to come across an unsmoked Kaywoodie billiard complete in box. It’s all in excellent condition, at at what I felt was a reasonable price.
@Beetleman Avon I presume. Avon made several pipe bottles. I had a white one was that was supposed to be "meerschaum" and I've had a couple of different brown ones. They usually contained Wild Country or Spice aftershave. Growing up in the 60s my mother would occasionally have Avon parties.
I once had the complete Avon Chess set - all 32 pieces plus a rug chessboard.
Estate sale - 15 bucks! The Decatur pipe rack is worth more than that. 2 or 3 pipes will probably be throw-aways, and the rest really need work.. But hey, 15 bucks?...
Comments
Never occurred to me the similarities, and I have 2 Nonpareils... If there's any difference, I would guess the Mastersen has a VERY slightly thinner bowl. But it so close I would probably have to used my micrometer to know for sure...
Also, the stem end of the shank extension is shaped and finished a little differently...
The Kaywoodie Canadian and Zulu look like pretty nice pipes.
What are the two pipes, The Liverpool second down on the left and the Canadian fourth down on the right? They both look like pretty nice pipes too.Yello-Bole or maybe Kaywoodie’s too?
JOST'S A1
JOST Deluxe
Dr. Grabow Regal
ROPP Supreme (cherry wood)
Dr. Grabow Riviera
2nd column:
RONA freehand sitter
Kaywoodie Standard
No-name Italy
JOST A1 prince
Kaywoodie Prime Grain
Penthouse #9456
3rd column:
The Pedestal Pipe - Israel
Savinelli SherWood #604
JOST'S Old English Deluxe
Yello-Bole Century Model
KayWoodie HI-BOWL H9
Very Bottom:
The stemless Mastersen
(Stummel only)
Thank you for listing them.
Freakin’ find of the year candidate!
If you check out http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/dunhill/index.html and https://pipedia.org/wiki/A_Dunhill_Pipe_Dating_Guide you will be able to determine the exact year that pipe was made.
I occasionally find Dunhill's in my wandering around antique/junk malls and shops but usually they are way overpriced for the condition the pipe is in.
I have a 1926 Dunhill Bruyere Innertube patent number. I spent more money than I normally spend on a new pipe to have a new Dunhill stem made for it but it was worth the money.
Either post a clear photo of the stamping or the exact wording and numbers on the pipe and I will see if I can pinpoint the year for you. I can't read what is in the photos because of the glare and because the stamping gets too fuzzy when I enlarge the photos.
Dunhill uses a suffix number either after Made in England or after the Patent Number to identify the year. The suffix number is always smaller than the other numbers or letters.
I don't see a suffix number after "Dunhill Shell Made in England" so the pipe was made before 1942. From 1925 through 1941, the Dunhill Shells, Tanshell, Redbark and Cumberland finished pipes had a suffix number after the patent number.
For the years 1925-34 other patent numbers were sometimes used in place of 119708/17 & 116989/17 for Dunhill pipes. I'm guessing at the exact patent number but I think it's 1341418/20. That means your pipe was made during that time frame for the U.S. market.
You are right on the money. The stamping reads:
Dunhill Shell Made in England
Patent No 134148/20
Would be awesome if you could nail it down!!
Interesting read about the Dunhill WWII pipes.
I used to use Briarville for occasional pipe work I didn't want to do myself but I haven't used them since the company changed ownership. The new guy does good work for the prices he charges but when I had to replace the stem on my 1926, I sent it to a specialist here in the U.S. that only does high end collectible pipes. The vulcanite he uses for stems is the same as what Dunhill uses and he even replaces the white dot. He takes the extra time to make sure the fit of the stem to briar is perfect. He also charges a lot more than Briarville.
Anyway, I have emailed George with the details about the stamping on your pipe. He may be able to provide some more information.
Sorry. I've been a little tied up with "seasonal" events.
George didn't know but he said, "
The forum he referenced is another pipe smoking forum. If you can post some clearer pictures of all the stamping, then i will post it on the other forum as George suggested. The key will be to take some better pictures of the pipe...
Yes. That's the forum.
Sweeeeet!
Avon I presume.
Avon made several pipe bottles. I had a white one was that was supposed to be "meerschaum" and I've had a couple of different brown ones. They usually contained Wild Country or Spice aftershave. Growing up in the 60s my mother would occasionally have Avon parties.
I once had the complete Avon Chess set - all 32 pieces plus a rug chessboard.
The Decatur pipe rack is worth more than that.
2 or 3 pipes will probably be throw-aways, and the rest really need work..
But hey, 15 bucks?...