Ferndown Bark Rusticated Bent Billiard Estate Briar Pipe

Description

Ferndown pipes were made by the legendary British pipe-maker Leslie ‘Les’ John Wood, along with his wife Dolly. Both Les and Dolly previously worked for Dunhill, where Les developed his skills and reputation as Britain’s premier pipe silversmith, as well as one of its premier pipe carvers. Ferndown pipes are highly coveted by pipe-smokers due to their superlative craftsman(and woman!)ship, whose bowls are oil-cured and which typically feature beautiful silverwork. Sadly, Les and Dolly retired from pipe-making in 2016, making Ferndown pipes rather scarce – especially given how difficult it is to get their owners to part with them.

As Les and Dolly tended to make more traditional shapes, in keeping with the English-French style, it’s quite rare to find a pipe of his that incorporates the natural plateau of briar. This one, on the other hand, does exactly that, giving it a distinctive touch while staying otherwise faithful to the classics. The pipe is in the Ferndown ‘Bark’ finish, which Dolly would painstakingly apply on each bowl to ensure a consistent, rugged texture. Judging by the nomenclature, in particular the lack of the stars later used to indicate sizing, I would estimate that this Ferndown was made between 1982 and 1990. If it did have stars, I imagine it would be a three star, as it is quite a large pipe.

The condition is great, but I will mention one thing that needs noting. The finish is unblemished, the rim is good, the nomenclature is still crisp, but I think the previous owner chose to replace the stem, as I’m not familiar with Les & Dolly using lucite, which this one is made from. Either way, we’ve adjusted the price accordingly.

Details:

Length: 6.5″

Bowl Width: 24.9mm

Bowl Depth: 1.8″

Weight: 2.1oz / 62g