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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,820
45,495
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
A dainty cased Belge bought a few years ago from Ken Barnes who opined it was a very early Charatan from its shape and size
Pure speculation, of course, because of its complete lack of stamps

View attachment 269411

And a gourd calabash stamped “Austria”.
Andrea Bauer is an educated guess because of the distinctive briar ferrule.
Otherwise an (unknown) Austrian gourd manufacturer whom Bauer used as its source

View attachment 269412
The belge looks very like a couple of early Charatans of a similar shaping that I've seen.
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,820
45,495
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Thanks for your input Jesse

Without access to an early Charatan catalogue (if there are any) I’m more than happy to defer to your opinion and Ken’s
Some years back, Ken asked me to help him with identifying the Frederick Charatan maker's mark and to see what I could find in the way of early Charatans. In my digging around I got do see a few really early pieces and a couple looked like kissing cousins to yours. It's a guess, but a slightly educated one.
 

bobomatic

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 11, 2023
119
500
Colombia
roberthunt.com
I love it bobomatic!! In all the years and all the pipes I have smoked, the stamp on the shank never had any effect on ‘the smoke’ for any one of them. 😉😁
You got that right. I bought it basically on how it looked, with that gentle slope of the stem. I was fortunate it turned out to be a wonderful smoker.
 
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Pyrodoc

Lurker
Dec 5, 2023
26
54
Arlington, Texas
This sharp pipe came with an older estate lot, some pre & circa WW2. Stamped, ‘Crowned Sovereign’ and ‘Italy.’ I can’t find a reference for it, though it calls ‘1940s Rossi’ to me, they were traditionally stamped that. A restoration in process, the pyrography on this briar is cool. Any reference or opinion would be much appreciated.
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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,837
13,921
Humansville Missouri
I just unwrapped a Suffolk the seller had stained nearly black. The stem is a modern acrylic replacement by the looks of it.

My, this unknown maker pipe was well carved, well constructed, and is a great smoker as a bonus.

Wally Frank or Lane likely contracted to have these made. It looks “Weberish” to me, like a Shellbrooke.

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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,837
13,921
Humansville Missouri
Once an old Algerian pipe has ever seasoned and colored, you can easily take steel wool and restore them to brown, using alcohol and steel wool, sonetimes just a paper towel.

But just one smoke and many times they’ll recolor.

Wow, does this Suffolk look like Weber Shellbrooke in Golden Walnut grade. There was a lot of skilled work to carve all those panels.

But any of a number of makers did these. The band is original because of the overstrike of the k of Suffolk and the r of Briar.

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