Butz Choquin L’Ancienne Silver Cap Churchwarden Estate Briar Pipe, French Estates

About this pipe:

With its origins in an 1858 collaboration between Jean-Baptiste Choquin and Gustave Butz, Butz-Choquin ultimately become one of the premier smoking pipe companies in 20th century France. The brand is known both for its stylish variations on traditional English-French shapes and for its exploration of atypical and elaborate finishes. The brand is also known for its collaborations with celebrated French pipe-makers, such as Paul Lanier and Alain Albuisson, who made some of Butz-Choquin’s highest-grade pipes for the company.  

A quick French lesson: L’Ancienne is French for – you guessed it – ‘very old.’ And there’s a reason this Butz Choquin is touting its age. That’s because the design of this pipe is a reproduction of the oldest Butz Choquin pipes, and some of the oldest wood pipes in general (as well as older meerschaum pieces). The very first Butz Choquin model was, like this one, a tall, long, hand carved pipe, replete with horn and silver ornamentation. This one is even more ornate, and even features a silver wind-cap. Unlike the original Butz Choquin pipes, however, the stem and shank extension on this one are acrylic, instead of the horn and albatross bone more commonly used 100 years ago.

The condition is near-mint. I’m not sure there will be many opportunities to own one of these pipes that has been preserved so lovingly.

Details:

Length: 9.8″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.59mm

Bowl Depth: 2.32″ / 58.92mm

Weight: 3.1oz / 88g