english

Charatan Selected #10271037SR

This must have been a very well loved pipe, because it is in
absolutely excellent condition, except that all of the
nomenclature is just about hand rubbed out. It's all there, on
the shank, but I need a magnifying glass to read it. Your good
eyes might be able to make it out sans glass. The stem is also
original, but the 'cp' is buffed out. Used. Price: $165

6 1/4" long, bowl 2.5" high. Weight: 2 5/8 oz., 75 grams.

Ashton Apple 2X with Amber Colored Stem #9207 DW

I don't think the year is on this Pebble Grain by Bill Taylor, but I
can tell you it has a fine, open draw and outside of a little lapse
in completing the stain on the bottom of the shank near the
stem, this looks like another great smoker from Ashton. I don't
know how unusual the stem treatment is, but I don't think it's
common. Neither, really, is the always comfortable Apple shape

5 1/2" long, bowl 1 5/8" high: Weight; 1 3/8 oz., 39 grams. New
Price: $225. (SOLD 6/20/08)

Dunhill 7 day set #8602

A particularly attractive 7 day set of unsmoked 1979 Dunhill
Bruyere pipes. 5 of the pipes are Group 6 in size, but are truly
large for their stated size. The other two are Group 4 in size,
and again, their size is easily group 5, with room in their bowls for
my thumb. The shapes are also out of the ordinary for Dunhill.
Priced individually, and with today's Dunhills, these pipes would
be over $5000, and that doesn't include the 7 day set aspect,
nor the beautiful case.

New. Price: $3250

Ashton XX Pebble Grain 1/2 Bent Bulldog #8615

A simple, well constructed, open drawing Bulldog by Bill Taylor.
In fact, all of the pipes I brought back from Europe on this trip
are open and well constructed. In his inimitable manner of
making sure nobody accuses him of perfection (a standard
very hard to repeat despite people's expectations) this pipe is
not dated. It shouldn't matter to you because the blast here
has a good degree of the character for which Bill became so
renowned. I like this pipe.

length 5 3/4", bowl height 1 3/4": Weight 1.66oz. 47.1 grams.
New. Price $265

Ashton Pebble Grain LX Bent Billiard. #1884

This pipe draws fine, the blast is good, and tight and the
smooth top looks almost round. The stain is uneven, but expect
any discoloration to be extinguished with enough smoking.

Stats: 6 ¼” long, bowl 2 ¼” high: Weight; 2.26 oz. 64.2 grams.
New. $265

Ashton Sovereign 3X Prince. #1886

The placement of the chamber on the top of the bowl is slightly
asymmetrical, which might even have been intentional. There’ a
little more rim on one side of the bowl than the other. This is not
necessarily bad or wrong. There is something intriguing about
this pipe. Everytime it hoves into view, it grabs my attention. It
has its own charm.

Stats: 6” long, bowl 1 3/4” high: Weight; 1.55 oz. 44.2 grams.
New. $255

Ashton Old Church XX Apple. #1888

Stats: 5 ¾” long, bowl 1 ¾” high: Weight; 1.59 oz. 45.3 grams.
New. $240

Ashton LX Pebble Grain Bent Billiard. #1890

This is almost indistinguishable with 1884, down to the uneven
staining. Even the sandblast grain pattern is about equal, I’d
say. The only real difference is that this one has a sandblast
bowl rim and the 1884 has a smooth rim. I’m curious as to what
the stats will be when I weigh them.

Stats: 6 ¼” long, bowl 2 1/8” high: Weight; 2.43 oz. 69.1 grams.
New. $265

Pulvers' Prior Briar
P.O. Box 61146
Palo Alto, CA 94306

Phone/Fax:
(650) 965-7403
Email:
mpulvers@aol.com

Pipe
Categories:

Charatan Distinction with Plateau Top and Gold Band
#9600

For such a high grade pipe, this is really large. Despite rather
thick wall, the tobacco chamber opening is well over an inch in
diameter. The straight grain is quite good, but not terrific, as is
the way with most, if not all, Distinctions. It was "Made by Hand
in the City of London and the gold band is stamped both "CP"
and 686 or 989. It also carries the Charatan DC stem.

6 5/16" long, bowl 2 7/8" high: Weight; 4.53 oz., 128.5 grms.New
Price. $650

Charatan Selected #6220060SR (N/A)

There has to be a reason I derive so much pleasure from
putting these pipes on the site, and I'm not yet willing to attribute
it to insanity. But look, today was a marvelous day here in
Northern California, and any reasonably healthy individual with
free time would have chosen to spend it out of doors. Sure, I
agree with the axiom, 'you've seen one tree, you've seen 'em
all,' but I like that one tree, and I don't mind that they all look
essentially alike. Nonetheless, here I am, typing away, in hopes
that either your weather isn't as nice as ours, or that you are
inclined enough to the indoors to glance my way from
time-to-time. Right now you're glancing at a large Selected that
has been fondled enough so that the nomenclature requires
good eyes in good light to read, or a magnifying glass.
Whoever smoked this pipe took excellent care of it, but did
need to replace the stem. It must be a true smoker.
6 1/2" long, bowl 2 3/8" high: Weight; 2.62 oz. 74.3 grams.Used
Price. $150

Charatan Distinction #6220066

This pipe has a huge tobacco chamber. The condition is
excellent, although the remnants of the CP are barely visible on
the stem. It does have the Lane Ltd. logo, and "Extra Large" is
scripted over the "made by hand" on the shank.

6 3/8" long, bowl 2 3/8" high: Weight; 1.76 oz., 50.1 grams.
Used. Price. $175

Dunhill ODA Shell Shape 836 #6229921 (SOLD 7/8/08)

The year of production is 1975. In Northern California red
wines, 1974 was an exceptional year, although I think I still
prefer 1970. I wish I had some left to see how they would taste
today. Heck, tonight. Right now. But, I digress. This pipe is in
excpetional condition, with one drawback, there is a fairly deep
tooth mark on the bottom of the stem. Doesn't that just drive
you crazy? A perfectly good opportunity to finally make a profit
shot to hell. What did I do wrong? (Wait...don't answer that.
When people ask something on the order of, "so, how's life
treating you, Marty?" one of my responses, an honest one, is,
"so good that the only thing I'm worried about is that some day
I'll get what I deserve." It's a chilling thought. Used. Price: $295

6 1/4" long, bowl 2 1/16" high. Weight: 1.96 oz., 55.7 grams.

Astleys Straight Grain Freehand #98619 SR

I'm not a grain guy, but the precise, tight up and down straight
grain on this pipe is noteworthy. I don't know who made this for
Astleys, but I know Charatan did a lot of work for them, as did,
perhaps Upshall, but I just don't remember. The condition here
is excellent, with the only shortcoming being a little weak
stamping on the bottom, where it says "Handmade in .....ark."
This is not from wear, just poor stamping on the concave
bottom of the shank. There is a scratch and a few very
insignificant dings on the bowl, but this is mentioned only in the
spirit of full disclosure. You're going to have to look hard to
find these. After all, the pipe is Used. Price: $195

7 1/8" long, bowl 2 1/8" high. Weight: 2 3/8 oz., 67 grams.

Dunhill Root 127 #98638CB

This is another well loved, well smoked pipe. Well loved
because the bowl is in very good condition, with just a little wear
shown on an otherwise very clean rim and tobacco chamber.
The stem appears original, with a very yellowed white dot. The
button area, however, exhibits the erosion of much buffing over
the years, and shallow teeth indentations are visible. No major
problems exist there. The buffing has also made it easy to feel
the seam where the stem and shank join. So what? The
nomenclature is very, very dull, but I think it's a 1959. Used..

5.5" long, bowl 1.75" high. Weight: 1 7/8 oz., 55 grams. $145

Dunhill LB 10271035 (SOLD 7/8/08)

A Bruyere from 1963 that is in about the condition you'd expect,
which is to say, there are a lot of little scratches and dings on
the bowl, but nothing deep or severe...just natural
accumulations from longevity. A bit more serious, perhaps, is
the absence of white on the spot where the dot resides. it's an
original stem, but I think that little thin disc fell out. It would be
an easy replacement for a good repairman. The bowl rim is
very clean and crisp and the stem is not bitten or dented. All in
all, the pipe is in great condition. All of the nomenclature is
quite legible, if not deep and crisp. Use. Price: $200

6" long, bowl 2 1/16" high. Weight: 2 1/8 oz., 59 grams.

Ferndown Bark Silver Spigot Billiard #12151411

6" long, bowl 1.9" high. Weight: 1 7/8 oz., 54 grams.
New. Price: $375

Ferndown Bark Silver Spigot Apple #12151425

6.95" long, bowl 2.07" high. Weight: 2.5 oz., 71 grams.
New. Price: $375

Ferndown Bark Bent Spigot with Silver Rim #14151413

If silver goes as high as when the Hunt bros. tried to corner the
market, this pipe could be somebody's retirement fund.
6.5 inches long, bowl 2.15" high. Weight: 2 5/8 oz., 76 grams.
New. Price: $425

Dunhill Bruyere #1261892SW (SOLD 3/22/08)

Slightly unfortunate situation here as the button end of the
stem has a serious fissure and the stem can't be expected to
last too much longer, so I'll have to discount this considerably,
taking into account that the buyer will eventually have to
re-stem this pipe through no fault of his/her own. It's a group 5
in size, dated 1978 and is in excellent condition, with nothing
more than very minor dings on the shank, befitting a pipe that
is 30 yrs. old. Used. Price: $95. 6" long, bowl 2.17" high.
Weight: 2.5 oz., 71 grams.

Peterson's Sherlock Holmes #1261976

This was, I gather the first release of Peterson's famous
Sherlock Holmes series. What a crock of crap. First of all, for
a rather pretty buck (about $165 at the time for this smooth
finish) this is fairly riddled with fills, and not all that subtley
hidden, either. But worse ('cause I'd rather know the fills are
there than have them try to fool me...like some very expensive
pipe makers who will go nameless so I can continue to fleece
the public in peace and quiet) is the idea that this series, which
contained, besides Sherlock, the Dr. Watson, Moriarty, Baker
Street, the Hyde Street Pier, Irene Adler and Marge Simpson, is
completely contrived. None of these shapes have anything to
do with the characters for which they are named. Pure sham.
Want a series pipe worth seeking out? Go for the Ser Jacopo
Picta series, where carver Giancarlo Guidi did some research
and made pipes that actually matched the styles in the
paintings of Vinnie Van Gogh. That, in my opinion, was far and
away the best series every made. It was real. And how can
one possibly compare the quality of almost any Peterson with a
Ser Jacopo? Well, you can't. I say that in the knowledge that
Peterson smokers are perhaps the most devoted of any brand
name loyalists. And it is to those marvelous people, who know
enough to not listen to the rants of beer deranged people like
me that I offer, in excellent condition, this pipe. Used. Price. $65
5.85" long, bowl 2.24" high. Weight: 2 3/8 oz., 67 grams.

Ashton 3X Panel #372285

Rather different, if my memory is good, from the standard
Ashton shapes we see. Even more unique is how well it's
constructed, with an open draw and the ability of a cleaner to fit
right through to the bottom of the bow. I think it's a good deal
on a couple of other levels. In the critical needs area, it has
thick walls for a Panel; it is also more pipe for the money in that
I think it's bigger than a typical triple X in size. Wait a minute. I
just found out why it has such an open draw...it's equipped to
take a 9mm filter. Ah well. As I've said before, and will say
again, there's nothing wrong with that. I have a Barbi with that
kind of tenon and I pay no attention to it and the pipes smokes
just fine. New. Price: $310
5.5" long, bowl 2" high. Weight: 2 1/3 oz., 61 grms.

Charatan Special #372241SR

This is a great version of a bent Charatan. It is from the Lane
era and is a beautiful specimen, with a thick bowl wall, a great
tapered stem and in excellent all-around condition. The 'CP' on
the stem is hard to see due to buffing, but you can see that it is
there and that this is an original stem. For all of these reasons,
and more, we're pricing this somewhat high for a Special.
Sometimes you get what you pay for. Used. Price: $125
5.7" long, bowl 2 1/8" high. Weight: 2.25 oz., 64 grams.

Charatan's Make #372249CB

This is just the right size for Aziz. It's small and light and the
blast is good and craggy. However, it looks like somebody got
creative with the original stem and tried to make a tapered stem
into a Double Comfort stem. They never asked me about the
advisability of such tinkering. Now, I have to ask less for this
pipe, which makes me want to kick the dog. (Dear friends of
PETA. I do not want to kick the dog. I have never kicked the
dog and I will never kick the dog.) The bowl and shank are in
excellent condition. The blast on the opposite of the bowl is
even better than the side you're looking at. Used. Price: $55
5.2" long, bowl 1.65" high. Weight: 7/8 oz., 25 grams.

Comoy's Royal #372254CB (SOLD 7/22/08)

The repair band is the result of a crack in the shank.
Otherwise this vintage pipe is in very good condition. The
"Royal Comoys" shows every letter clearly, if not deeply, and
on the other side, one can still make out the "London Made" in
an ellipse, which is a rather old stamping. There is minimal
wear on the top of the bowl and there is one semi-serious tooth
indentation on the bottom of the original stem. If you're a fan of
that cheap knock-off that Savinelli does on the Bing Crosby
pipe (the original of which is also pretty cheap) you might
conisder this as a step up, wherein you can look yourself in the
mirror every morning for a change. Used. Price: $95
7.3" long, bowl 1.5" high. Weight: 7/8 oz., 24 grams.

Upshall P #4242655 (SOLD 7/2/08)

For fans of solid, English pipes, this one is right up your alley.
It's in exc. cond., has thick walls and an excellent draw.
Although the grain on one side of the bowl isn't special, this
should smoke beautifully and is clearly from the brand's early
production. Used. Price: $150
6.4" long, bowl 2.14" high. Weight: 2.5 oz., 71 grams.

Upshall B #4242653

Upshall is pretty much the personification of the stodgy, old
school English pipe, the kind that basically killed (I think it was
suicide) the English pipe market. Some people are going to
see that statement as a pejorative, but other people are going
to look in the mirror, see their cardigan sweater and admit to
themselves that they like stodgy. They like a well prepared
bowl of hot oatmeal in the morning, with perhaps a crisply
browned piece of English Muffin and cup of properly brewed
tea followed by a big bowl of an English blend. I am one of
those people. I might like to be a Salvador Dali, but even my
closest friends will concede that I'm not. All of that
notwithstanding, this Upshall can not easily be called 'stodgy.'
That isa lot of tight straight grain on a natural reveal-all finish.
As good a Grade as 'B' is, I believe this could have been
graded even higher. Of course, Upshall was very conservative
in its grading system, not wishing to overstate a case. If I'm
right, this will be a sought after pipe. Of course, that's
contingent upon people actually coming to this site. My advice
to you is to believe that you are the only one and so there's no
need for you to rush to buy this. Wait for the after Xmas sale
and get it at a greatly reduced price. Ok...one, two,
three...start holding your breath. Unsmoked. Price: $750
6.18" long, bowl 2.2" high. Weight: 1 7/8 oz., 55 grams.
Late News: R.M. showed me a link to an e-Bay auction where
the owner of Upshall pipes put a "G" grade on the block for
about $5,000 and I absolutely assure you that the grade on
that pipe doesn't come close to the grain quality on this pipe by
any measure. Of course, one can put any grade on a piece of
wood...all it takes is the metal stamp.

Dunhill Pat. # Bruyere #4242636

This has a U.S. Pat. # of 1343253/20, and after the "England"
on the line above, an underlined 0. I'm going to venture it's a
1940 pipe, not a common year, I'd suspect. I can not tell if the
stem is original. It has a fairly large white dot, so if you know
your eras and dots, you can perhaps tell me. The condition
seems very good, but there is no doubt that somebody did a
little work on the rim top...probably just to eliminate some
carbon wear. The inner rim top is not perfectly round, and
that's another way to tell. Used. Price: $175.
5.7" long, bowl 1.8" high. 1 1/8 oz., 32 grams.

Charatan's Make #4242668 (SOLD 6/26/08)

There is no Lane Ltd. logo on this pipe, and everything about it
tells me that it was born just after Dunhill took over the
production of Charatan. It has a smooth, beveled rim and a
large bowl. The condition is excellent, the draw is open and the
price is right. Used. Price: $50.
6" long, bowl 2" high. Weight: 1.75 oz., 51 grams.

Peterson Sherlock Holmes #4242689

For the collector, or anyone else who wants a full bent pipe with
a pretty good draw. It's in excellent condition. Used. Price: $75
4.8" long, bowl 2.15" high. Weight: 2 1/8 oz., 61 grams.

Dunhill Shell 1975 Group 3, #6203101 (RESERVED)

Unsmoked and small. Dunhill connoisseur Rich Esserman says
that the pipes from this era smoke terrific. New. Price: $200
5.14" long, bowl 1.65" high. Weight: 1 1/8 oz., 31 grams.

Dunhill Shell 1975 Group 3, #6203114

Nice enough size for a Grp. 3, which is to say, not too small.
6" long, bowl 1 5/16" high. Weight: 7/8 oz., 26 grams.
New. Price: $225

GBD Sable Standard #6203097 (SOLD 7/2/08)

this smallish Squat Bulldog is in like-new condition. Used. $55
5.55" long, bowl 1.33" high. Weight: 1.25 oz., 34 grams.

Charatan Free Hand Relief #6203098 (SOLD 7/2/08)

This pipe is from the Lane era and is endowed with good, deep
ring grain blast. The bowl, near the rim, was reamed a bit too
vigorously, but it has not been gouged or anything serious like
that at all. It'll completely disappear after a few smokes. I do
not see the 'CP' on the stem, but aside from one tooth
indentation on the bottom of the stem, it's in very good cond.
5.67" long, bowl 1.8" high. Weight: 1.25 oz., 35 grams.
Used. Price: $85

GBD International #6203112 (RESERVED)

Good cross grain with dramatic Bird's Eye on one side. The
cond. is exc., and it has a plateau rim. In reality, and I hate to
have to say this, you can't, probably, get a pipe that I would say
is 'better' if you paid $10,000. It might look fancier, but not
perform or feel 'better'. Used. Price: $55
5.86" long, bowl 1.85" high. Weight: 1 3/8 oz., 38 grams.

Loewe Captanide #6203110 (SOLD 7/19/08)

If anyone can tell me what 'Captanide' refers to, I'd be grateful.
I'm going to guess it's a rather high grade, because from what I
can see, this pipe is straight grain all around, with no fills. It's a
small pipe, about a 2.5 on the Dunhill scale, and the bowl is
uncarbonized. Considering it's an old English brand, this has
every chance of becoming a great smoker. New. Price: $125
5.86" long, bowl 1.24" high. Weight: 7/8 oz., 26 grams.

Dunhill Pat.# Bruyere. #6203091

Due to barely visible nomenclature, this pipe is hard to date,
but I'm going with 1940 based on the Pat. #, which ends 53/20
and the date code above that, which is 0. And that's the good
part. The pipe was definitely 'topped' so that the rim is not
perfectly round, and some SOB coated the inside of the bowl
with black stuff so that I could not detect that it was scorched
inside. Luckily, I do not recall from whom, or when, I got this
pipe. I used my fingernail, and the scorched area is not crispy,
so it's quite possible that this pipe will smoke just fine, but I
can't guarantee that. I can take it back if it burns out, though.
It's a very nice stem, although I'm not sure if it's original.
5.7" long, bowl 1.78" high. Weight: 1 1/8 oz., 33 grams.
Used. Price: $85

Peterson with Sterling, Hallmarked Band #6203030CW

This is a large, rusticated Peterson with a sterling silver band
hallmarked 1975. No grade is given on the pipe, other than to
say "Peterson's Dublin" with the old 'walking' P, so one might
suspect it is a reproduction of an early model. The non-P lip
might also point in that direction, but I'm no Peterson expert.
I do know that the condition here is excellent. Used. $60
6.9" long, bowl 2.18" high. Weight: 2 7/8 oz., 81 grams. (SOLD)

Peterson's Dublin #6203031CW

Another large Peterson with a sterling band, but, alas, without a
hallmark date. This pipe exhibits the 'walking P' and is in exc.
cond. There's some good flame grain here, but, as one might
expect from most Peterson's, there's also a fill on the bowl.
6.4" long, bowl 2.2" high. Weight: 2 3/8oz., 69 grams.
Used. Price: $55

Charatan Perfection #6203033CW

In very good condition, with some very minor dings on it, and
teeth indentations on the stem. The nomenclature is a little
worn, but everything is quite legible, and the draw is very open.
5.5" long, bowl 1.95" high. Weight: 2 oz., 57 grams.
Used. Price: $50

Charatan Free Hand Relief #6203047CW

Very crisp condition. The "CP" on the stem is clearly
discernible, but dim, otherwise the pipe is near-new. It has the
Lane Logo and Double Comfort (DC) stem. Used. $125
5.8" long, bowl 2.28" high. Weight: 1.75 oz., 47 grams.

Charatan's Make #6203057CW

In excellent condition, with a very crisp rim and original stem, an
open draw and the Lane logo. There is no question, however,
that the blasts on the Free Hand Reliefs are much deeper and
more dramatic than on a simple Charatan sandblast. Does
anybody know why that is the case? I mean, if they're going to
blast a pipe, they're going to blast a pipe. It can't be the time
difference, which would be a matter of a few seconds. Did they
reserve the good blaster for the FHRs and the weaker, older
sand blaster for the Charatan's Makes? I don't get it, but
somebody out there will know and will tell me, and then I'll tell
you. That's how this works. Of course, it works best when I can
use the info to make more money on a pipe, thus having more
money to invest and bring you better pipes. Ain't capitalism
great? Used. Price: $75
5.6" long, bowl 2" high. Weight: 1.75 oz., 48 grams.

Charatan Belvedere #6203058CW (SOLD 7/9/08)

In my limited experience, the Belvedere has been the best
performing Charatan. I've tried a straight grain or two, and
some of the other grades, but as much as I don't favor either
smooth or reddish hued pipes, there's no denying that my
Charatan Belvederes smoke best. It's too small a sampling,
really, to draw any conclusion, except, perhaps, that you stand
as good a chance with this grade as any other. This pipe does
have some wear on the inner rim but is otherwise in exc. cond.
It's from the Lane era and has a very open draw. Used. $55
5.7" long, bowl 2.17" high. Weight: 2 3/8 oz., 67 grams.

Peterson Sterling Silver #6203048CW

I will not live long enough to understand the Peterson grading
system, or hierarchy of pipes, or the multitude of designations
they use. This pipe has a clearly marked sterling silver band,
with the European .925 on it, which designates it as a true
sterling band. The pipe grade is ostensibly "Peterson Sterling
Silver" which is stamped on the band, with nothing whatsoever
stamped on the brair. Still, I'm going to venture it's fairly old.
There is no country of origin on the pipe, either, but there is a
harp between the "Peterson" and the "Sterling Silver" and yet
another "Peterson" on the band. It does not have the traditional
P lip. Did I yet mention the cond. is exc., and the draw open?
5.7" long, bowl 2.17" high. Weight: 2 3/8 oz., 67 grams.
Used. Price: $55