Where Did the High End Kaywoodies Go?

[Briar Lee]

In 1947, after the war ended Kaywoodie introduced a $15, $20, and $25 line of pipes.




One of the problems with a Kaywoodie is after they switched to a three hole stinger the quality went on a straight line downhill to mass produced drug store pipes, instead of luxury pipes only.

So if you see a Connoisseur, a Nintey Fiver, or Centennial for sale, was it made in 1947 or 1967?

I’ve never seen any of these three in person.

Wonder where they all went?

There are lots of high end Marxman pipes for sale.

 

[didimauw]

Clearly they aren't something anyone wants to part with.

 

[sablebrush52]

In 1947, after the war ended Kaywoodie introduced a $15, $20, and $25 line of pipes.

View attachment 276870View attachment 276871


One of the problems with a Kaywoodie is after they switched to a three hole stinger the quality went on a straight line downhill to mass produced drug store pipes, instead of luxury pipes only.

So if you see a Connoisseur, a Nintey Fiver, or Centennial for sale, was it made in 1947 or 1967?

I’ve never seen any of these three in person.

Wonder where they all went?

There are lots of high end Marxman pipes for sale.

They show up from time to time.

 

[OzPiper]

Doug Valitchka is a prominent seller of Kaywoodies on EBay.
You might send him an email

 

[Briar Lee]

Let’s assume it’s the four hole stinger era and you want a new pipe.

The other pipes in 1947 have to really be good to beat a $3.50 Drinkless. A Drinkless more or less defined a forties luxury pipe.

Would you like to spend $5?

Here there are gorgeous Webers, Lees, LHS and Marxman pipes to chose from.

At $10 a Kaywoodie Flame Grain is the Packard of the bunch. My first goal as a pipe smoker was to smoke nothing but Flame Grains.

Then I discovered Three Star Lees.

The Kaywoodie customer got so much pipe for $3:50, $5, and $10 I’d say he was a hard sell for $15, $20, and $25 Kaywoodies.

But they made quite a few, no doubt.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Possibly, like many pipes of the era, smoked into oblivion and discarded.

 

[Grangerous]

I thought you had them all!

I have several Kaywoodie but only one 4 hole stinger and it is a beautiful pipe. No doubt about it. I didn’t even realize it’s age until this forum.

I do believe there is much value in obtaining estate pipes. Such quality can be had for so little. Happy Hunting.

 

[Briar Lee]

Possibly, like many pipes of the era, smoked into oblivion and discarded.

A few years ago a legal assistant admired my Lees and gushed my father used to smoke a pipe, he had a lot of them!

I knew he’d passed a few years ago, and her mother was still alive.

So without trying to sound larcenous I asked, whatever became of his collection?

She said they were all in racks and they were smelly and my brother doesn’t smoke, so we tossed them.

She said they didn’t have pretty gold stars like yours, they all had little white cloverleafs.

The men who smoked $15-$25 pipes had more than one pipe, most likely.

They probably took care of them but when they were gone, who knows?

 

[Briar Lee]

I thought you had them all!

I have several Kaywoodie but only one 4 hole stinger and it is a beautiful pipe. No doubt about it. I didn’t even realize it’s age until this forum.

I do believe there is much value in obtaining estate pipes. Such quality can be had for so little. Happy Hunting.

If you cruise eBay I think there are more Flame Grains for sale than Super Grains. And a Flame Grain is nearly always in better shape.

FYI there are three classes of 4 hole stingers. The ones you want are the large ball 4 holers with four digit numbers (Super Grain was top then) and then large ball Flame Grains or two digit numbers, then small four hole stingers with two digits. After three holes, they go downhill but each pipe has to be judged on its own. Earlier is better. They shrunk the ball to save on aluminum during the war.

Kaywoodie made meerschaums and oversized specials and calabashes and just everything under the sun. But the vast majority of production were standard sized pipes which by modern tastes are small pipes. Small was stylish then.

The $15-25 pipes came in most of the numbers in the enormous Kaywoodie catalog that shrunk every year after the war.

By 1970 here’s what was left.




Note prices have about doubled in thirty years but inflation had tripled and the pipes were a shadow of what they’d been in 1940.

There still was listed a Connoisseur at $27.50.

Where are they?

Those tonque burners of lesser grades are all over eBay.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

The only Kaywoodie I have is a Connoisseur that showed up NOS I think on SP a couple of years ago (yep, just searched my emails) - paid $57 for it and it is a wonderful little pipe. Too early in the morning to go searching for it but here’s a pic from the site from my order.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

They do pop up on eBay pretty regularly, but most serious KW collectors don't consider them to be worth anything. Pre-war 4 hole pipes are starting to surge in price again though. If you're looking for early Kaywoodies...

Early Sandblasted Kaywoodie’s 12/29/2023 :: Pipes & Accessories Sell/Trade

Doing some house cleaning and parting with a few of my beloved KW Thorns. Whatever hasn’t sold here by Monday will go up on eBay. If you have any questions please PM me. Prices do not include shipping. 1. Very early 5672 “Large Canadian Oval Stem” Shellcraft. Meerschaum lined. Very craggy...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[Grangerous]

Here it is @Briar Lee. My only 4 hole stinger.

 

[Briar Lee]

View attachment 276913
Here it is @Briar Lee. My only 4 hole stinger.

As a Kaywoodie goes that is the top dog, four digit, should be large ball four hole stinger, Super Grain, pre 36 goodern!

Look at that 200-400 year old Greek briar!

Congratulations!

 

[Grangerous]

As a Kaywoodie goes that is the top dog, four digit, should be large ball four hole stinger, Super Grain, pre 36 goodern!

Look at that 200-400 year old Greek briar!

Congratulations!

Pre 1936?

 

[Briar Lee]

Pre 1936?

Let’s not split hairs, but the 1936 Kaywwodie catalog doesn’t have a Flame Grain yet, and all pipes have four digit serial numbers.

In 1937 there are two digit serial numbers in the catalog and a brand new $10 Flame Grain.

The 1937 Super Grains were second best, if there are two digits.

Or so that’s what I’ve read for 25 years now.

4 digits means pre 37, actually.

And older is better.

Kaywoodie alone is responsible for total depletion of the truly ancient 250+ year old Greek briar.

Greek brown was prettier, harder, and more mellow on aberage than Algerian.

 

[samuelgawith01]

In 1947, after the war ended Kaywoodie introduced a $15, $20, and $25 line of pipes.

View attachment 276870View attachment 276871


One of the problems with a Kaywoodie is after they switched to a three hole stinger the quality went on a straight line downhill to mass produced drug store pipes, instead of luxury pipes only.

So if you see a Connoisseur, a Nintey Fiver, or Centennial for sale, was it made in 1947 or 1967?

I’ve never seen any of these three in person.

Wonder where they all went?

There are lots of high end Marxman pipes for sale.

I have a Ninety Fiver that I found in an antique shop on the eastern shore of Virginia in pretty cruddy shape and cleaned it up.I payed 12$.They went for 20$ back in the day.

 

[Grangerous]

Pre 1936?

And it appears as new and unsmoked. I had no idea of it’s age. Thank you, for the info, Lee.

 

[samuelgawith01]

I have a Ninety Fiver that I found in an antique shop on the eastern shore of Virginia in pretty cruddy shape and cleaned it up.I payed 12$.They went for 20$ back in the day.

I think that would be a bit over 200$ in today's money.

 

[Briar Lee]

I think that would be a bit over 200$ in today's money.

The Inflation calculator says $20 in 1947 is $275 today.

What it can’t tell you is five dollars bought a deluxe Super Grain in 1947, exact same shape, just as well made Kaywwodie.

Kaywoodie pipes were like Cadillacs in that they all were the same pipe as the shape number and there were no bargain, budget priced Kaywoodies.

More money meant better (prettier) biar and nothing else.

I’ll bet a Ninety Fiver is the rarest above $10 Kaywoodie.

If you’ll spend $20 then $5 more buys the very best.

 

[MattRVA]

This is my best old Super Grain. It’s a wonderful smoker but the grain isn’t great.