GBD Pre-1980s Rockroot Collector 9640 Rusticated Pot Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

GBD was one of several prominent examples of a French pipe brand that, due to certain circumstances, became a maker most associated with 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.

The Rockroot was GBD’s dedicated line of what we today would call “wire rusticated” pipes, with distinctive, vertical lines hewn into the bowl. True to the name, this technique often resulted in an aesthetic that looked closer to geological formations than wood carvings (basalt columns would be a good example). This one is rendered in one of the many hybrid shapes GBD put out in the midcentury, the “9640.” It was—as one can see—an oversized (hence the “Collector” designation) mixture of the traditional pot, panel, and lumberman shapes, with the result being something truly distinctive, even today. This one happens to feature yet another signature GBD design element—a translucent perspex mouthpiece, which was practically synonymous with the make way back when. On a final note, based on the nomenclature and stem inlay, this will be a pre-1980s, pre-Cadogan Investments merger GBD, making it even more alluring for fans of classic, Anglo-French pipes.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening, finish fading, and mouthpiece discoloration (the latter being very typical of perspex and no cause for concern).

Details:

Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm

Bowl Width: 1.02 / 25.90mm

Bowl Depth: 1.45″ / 36.83mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 48g