Castleford Smooth Bent Billiard w/ Silver Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Until quite recently, Castleford was something of an overlooked gem within British pipe making. That’s changed in recent years, but the story is still worth retelling.

It all started with Invicta Briars, one of the UK’s longest-serving pipe workshops. There, a young pipe maker named Colin Fromm learned his trade alongside then-owner and foreman of the workshop, Colin Leeson. When the time came for Fromm to start his own brand of pipes, he created Castleford. Like its contemporaries, such as Ashton, Ferndown, and James Upshall, Castleford was part of the new wave of high-quality, handmade British pipes that swept the scene toward the end of the 20th century. Fromm ultimately ended up being hired by Dunhill to head production at Charatan after acquiring the brand (for a second time), and Castleford would come to be eclipsed by other British handmades. Yet, as mentioned, pipe smokers and collectors have recently rediscovered Castleford pipes for exactly the excellent pieces that they are.

The condition is very good. Some minor wear to the rim.

 

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.57″ / 39.87mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 42g