Briar Plateau Block Pipe Stands, "Made in Italy"... By Whom and When?

[PLANofMAN]

Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
As a younger man, I drooled over elegant pipes in well lit cases, and there was always that one stand out pipe prominently displayed in a gorgeous burl stand. My younger self admired the well north of $500 pipes and the stands themselves, which if not labeled "NFS" (not for sale), had price tags hovering between $150 and $300 as best I can recall. This was in 1999.

I've seen several on Worthpoint (examples above) and various other sites, but who made them? They all carry "MADE IN ITALY" stampings and are made from briar with natural plateau tops. Are they still being made, and who made them in the first place? Does anyone know?

Edit: As best I can tell, this is the only practical use anyone has found for most 'actual' 100 year old briar.

The rest of the pictures of the above stands.

 

[Chasing Embers]

As best I can tell, this is the only practical use anyone has found for most 'actual' 100 year old briar.

Pipes can be made out of burls that old.

 

[PLANofMAN]

Pipes can be made out of burls that old.

Of course they can, and I didn't mean to imply that a small segment of aged burl is suitable for pipes, it's just that the likelihood of running into imperfections, sand pockets, and other defects in the briar go way up the older the bush. That's why 30 is considered the perfect age to harvest pipe burl.

I'm assuming the stands above are representative of burl that is both big enough to make a stand out of, and yet showing enough flaws to be considered not suitable for pipe making.

 

[warren]

I'm assuming the stands above are representative of burl that is both big enough to make a stand out of, and yet showing enough flaws to be considered not suitable for pipe making.

I'm guessing some enterprising individual thinks there is a market for such. Too many pipes with bad fills, poor grain and such are being sold so, I wouldn't place a lot weight on your assumption. There is still a "decent" market for such or, there wouldn't be so many available.

 

[PaulRVA]

I have 1 the only markings are multiple letter C’s almost like paw prints on the bottom. Came from Iwan Ries back in the 90’s
As far as original maker ????

 

[TheIronMonkey]

At present, I only have one (I’m always on the lookout for more), made by Brebbia. It holds four pipes. This was not issued with the cushioned caps on the metal—I added them to prevent scratches to the finish of my pipes. This might be from the ’60s or ’70s. It bears a sticker similar to Brebbia hookahs I have from that period.

 

[PLANofMAN]

I have 1 the only markings are multiple letter C’s almost like paw prints on the bottom. Came from Iwan Ries back in the 90’s
As far as original maker ????
View attachment 279687View attachment 279689

Yes! All three of the stands I posted above have those carved 'c's on them as well. Some are definitely on there to sort of obscure cracks and pits, others appear to be purely decorative. I can't tell if the marks were made by a gouge or a stamp.

I'm guessing some enterprising individual thinks there is a market for such. Too many pipes with bad fills, poor grain and such are being sold so, I wouldn't place a lot weight on your assumption. There is still a "decent" market for such or, there wouldn't be so many available.

Pipes or stands?

 

[Briar Lee]

Example 1:
View attachment 279583Example 2:
View attachment 279584Example 3:View attachment 279585
As a younger man, I drooled over elegant pipes in well lit cases, and there was always that one stand out pipe prominently displayed in a gorgeous burl stand. My younger self admired the well north of $500 pipes and the stands themselves, which if not labeled "NFS" (not for sale), had price tags hovering between $150 and $300 as best I can recall. This was in 1999.

I've seen several on Worthpoint (examples above) and various other sites, but who made them? They all carry "MADE IN ITALY" stampings and are made from briar with natural plateau tops. Are they still being made, and who made them in the first place? Does anyone know?

Edit: As best I can tell, this is the only practical use anyone has found for most 'actual' 100 year old briar.

The rest of the pictures of the above stands.
View attachment 279639
View attachment 279640
View attachment 279641View attachment 279642
View attachment 279643

Missouri has so many oak trees, and so many hillbillies with chainsaws, and so few people that still burn firewood, that the price of a true cord of seasoned, oak firewood, that’s been barked, has fallen from a hundred dollars a cord delivered to about seventy five in the last forty years. They won’t stack it, but they’ll dump it where you say to. Ash is more money. If you want kindling sticks you say so, because they otherwise are left in the woods with the bark.

The market for the burls of the heather shrub is likely one hundred times less than seventy years ago.

Those pipe stands are made from the bark.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Missouri has so many oak trees, and so many hillbillies with chainsaws, and so few people that still burn firewood, that the price of a true cord of seasoned, oak firewood, that’s been barked, has fallen from a hundred dollars a cord delivered to about seventy five in the last forty years. They won’t stack it, but they’ll dump it where you say to. Ash is more money. If you want kindling sticks you say so, because they otherwise are left in the woods with the bark.

The market for the burls of the heather shrub is likely one hundred times less than seventy years ago.

Those pipe stands are made from the bark.

Your analogy might be confusing for some people reading this. The bark on oak firewood is not the same as what you’re describing as “bark” on these pipe stands. For the oak, the bark would be the outer skin of the tree that is above ground; with these stands, we’re looking at the outer portion of the heather’s burl (same thing used for pipes) that is underground. The pictures in this article will show this clearly:

How Briar Curing Works: History, Methods, and Benefits | Smokingpipes.com

Learn more about the history, methods, and benefits traditional briar curing and how the process ensures optimum smoking qualities

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[Briar Lee]

I love Danish freehands because I know they used briar, I can see that bark on top, and usually on the end of the shank, as well.

But a plateux briar block isn’t all pipes, there is lots of waste.

Those stands are a bye product of pipe production. Otherwise they’d find a stove.

 

[warren]

Pipes or stands?

Pipes. Lotta "flawed" pipes available out there. Many become cherished smokers.

 

[PLANofMAN]

While it's true there's a lot of waste, the only unusable portion (for pipes) of the pipe burl is the center, which is softer and lacks grain. The plateaux is surface of the wood, just under the bark. The bark is stripped off using a wire wheel, which does no harm to the hard wood underneath.

It's probably safe to say that these were made from the larger cuts dug from the reject pile, and it is almost certain that they were made exclusively from pipe briar burl.
Edit: The Stanwell 63M Vario in the picture may very well have come from a block cut like this stand. The flame grain lines flow much the same way.