GBD Pre-1980s Granitan Colossus 9662 Sandblasted Billiard w/ Perspex Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, ultimately became one of the standard bearers of classic “British” pipes. Founded in 1850 by the French trio Ganneval, Bondier & Donninger, the brand was bought by English company Oppenheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, who opened factories in London and Paris to meet an increasing demand for the make’s high-quality and highly desirable pipes. Partly owing to the make’s inventive, yet traditional shapes, and partly due to the high standards of their production, GBD pipes are particularly coveted by collectors, as well as those who simply appreciate classic, well-made smoking instruments.

GBD’s Granitan was, not unlike the Rockroot, a name that was both something of a pun and a reference to a geological formation. The “tan” part of the name is intuitive: like the Dunhill Tanshell before it, the Granitan wore a light brown stain over a sandblast finish. The “Granit,” or rather, “Granite” part is a little more complex. The Granitan was sandblasted, but the roughness of the result was then reined in by sanding and polishing the stummel, resulting in a texture more like a slab of its namesake than, say, the more rugged Fossil line. This process gave the Granitan a distinctly weathered aesthetic, one that was quite different to other sandblasted pipes then and, indeed, since.

This one takes the form of a very sturdy, wide chambered billiard from the Colossus series, which was reserved for the largest of GBD’s oversized offerings. It also features one of the make’s most famous design elements, a translucent perspex stem. Based on the rondelle inlaid in said stem, along with the pipe’s nomenclature, this will be a pre-1980s, pre-Cadogan Investments merger production GBD, made back during a golden age of pipes still fondly remembered by collectors today.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original (slightly flaked) bowl coating.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 1.08 / 27.43mm

Bowl Depth: 1.97″ / 50.03mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 52g