GBD (Pre-1980s) Unique Natural Smooth Freehand Dublin (Estate)

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.

While GBD is known as one of the great pipes makes in the Anglo-French tradition, there is one GBD line that became particularly coveted by smokers and collectors, despite breaking with that tradition almost entirely. This line is, of course, the GBD Unique, each of which was—as the name suggests—wholly distinct in design and unlike anything on a classical shape chart. These pipes were instead carved freehand, allowing for more modern compositions, but they were also predominantly carved by Horry Jamieson, a veteran English pipe-maker who had spent years working for GBD, and for Barling before that.

This one comes from the Unique Natural subseries, which wore a very light finish so as to highlight the beauty of the briar that composed it, and takes on a strikingly unusual form for the English context. In some ways, it mirrors the hybridity of GBD’s midcentury factory designs, but it also takes that tendency even further, resulting in a trumpeting, stacked, flat-bottomed, swan-necked creation.

On a side note, the nomenclature and brass “GBD” stem inlay indicate this to be a pre-1980s, pre-Cadogan Investments merger make.

The condition is good. Minor rim darkening, some finish fading, and some handling marks.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.94 / 23.87mm

Bowl Depth: 1.99″ / 50.54mm

Weight: 1.2oz / 36g