Barling’s Make 1953 63 YOW EL Smooth Billiard w/Silver Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Barling and Sons was originally founded in 1812 by Benjamin Barling and began as a family business making silver-adorned meerschaum pipes. In the early 20th century, however, the Barling family began to produce what the brand is today most famous for – expertly made briar pipes.

So-called “Family Era” Barlings have been among the most prized pipes by collectors for a long time This name refers to a period where the Barling family owned the B. Barling and Sons company and managed the production of Barling pipes, which are considered to be some of the finest pipes ever made. But correctly identifying the period in which a Barling pipe can be difficult, as B. Barling and Sons underwent numerous changes throughout its history. There were changes in ownership, changes in management, changes in where Barling pipes were made and what they were made from, and though Barling historians such as Jonathan Guss and Jesse Silver have sifted through records to plot a timeline of Barling pipes, periods, and identifying attributes, Barling pipes still cause confusion among the wider pipe community, especially as regards the Family Era and Transition Era (the latter being good pipes, but not nearly as coveted as the former). One grouping of Barling pipes that are easily dated to a specific year, however, are those with silverware mounted in England. For centuries, sterling silver in the United Kingdom was tightly regulated by its government, with anything sold as such requiring dated purity guarantees by the British state and its various assay offices across. The Barling family were silversmiths for generations before they made pipes, so they were acutely familiar with this process. As an estates seller, it is a joy to come across a Barling like this Extra Large (for the time), army mount Ye Olde Wood billiard; not only because it features the Barling family’s superlative silverware; and not only because it is an extremely beautiful specimen, either; but because one can confidently say that this pipe was made in 1953, during the Family Era, and before any significant changes in ownership and management took place.

The condition is also great, with just a little bit of wear to the rim.

 

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.74 / 18.79mm

Bowl Depth: 1.42″ / 36.06mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 34g