Astleys Smooth Egg Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Astleys was one of London’s most historic pipe and tobacco shops. Like many pipe tobacconists, its owners had pipes made specially to be sold under the shop’s name. Astleys pipes, however, were made by some of the premier pipe manufacturers and artisans in the UK, such as Ashton, Charatan Dunhill, Ferndown, and James Upshall. As a result, Astleys pipes are prized for their quality, and as examples of the very finest British pipes.

While Astleys is known largely for the quintessentially English pipes it sold, the shop did, over the decades, sell all manner of pipes, from the plateaux-burl briars of the mid-century, to meerschaum pipes, and even to pipes from post-war Danish makes. It is unclear whether this Astleys was made in England or elsewhere, taking the form of a large, Scandinavian egg shape not unlike those of Nording, Stanwell, Bari, et al. Pretty good grain, too, with a nice golden contrast finish.

The condition is good. Some wear to the rim, finish fading, and a couple of smaller scratches on the bowl.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.80 / 20.32mm

Bowl Depth: 1.71″ / 43.43mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 42g