BBB 1907 Smooth Bent Billiard w/ Amber Stem Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

‘BBB’ originally stood for ‘Blumfeld’s Best Briars’, so named after Louis Blumfeld after he took over the historic Alfred Frankenau Company in 1856. Later, the pipes came to be known as ‘Britain’s Best Briars’. Though the name might have changed, the quality of the pipes did not – they really were fantastic pipes, made in the classic style of the English-French shape chart. Like GBD, Dunhill, and Barling’s, BBB are pipes with a rich history behind them, proudly holding the title of “the oldest trade mark in the [pipe] industry.”

When you sell pipes for a living, you handle a lot of old, historic makes, i.e., pipe brands that can claim a history that extends centuries into the past. But it’s still very rare to have a pipe from one of those brands land on your desk that is anywhere near as old as the brand itself. You don’t see many Frederick’s era Charatan pipes, for example, or pre-patent Dunhills. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s remark that “all life is a process of breaking down” applies to pipes the same way it does to people; the older something is, the less chance it’s still around, at least in one piece. So, there are far fewer briars from the early 1900s that have survived long enough to make it back onto the market in the contemporary (and even fewer from the 1800s), especially compared to pipes that were made more recently. This BBB is not one of the very first pipes from its storied make, but it’s not far off, either. The hallmarks on the pipe’s sterling silver collar indicate a 1907 manufacture, and in this instance the briar does live up to expectations set by its braggadocious marketing. The briar is very good, with a web of bird’s-eye at each flank; the stem is genuine amber; and the silverware is a distinguished touch, as it always has been. The pipe also comes with a fitted case, which no doubt contributed to its preservation, as well as being a signifier of prestige.

The condition is very good for a pipe from 1907. There’s some rim darkening, some scratches on the bowl and the silver, and some handling marks and finish fading. I can’t be 100% sure that the tenon is original, as I’m more used to seeing screw fitments for amber stems, though a push stem would not be unprecedented. Nevertheless, it’s a remarkable find. I expect it to be especially interesting for collectors.

 

Details:

Length: 4.5″ / 114.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.67 / 17.01mm

Bowl Depth: 1.35″ / 34.29mm

Weight: 0.9oz / 28g