James Upshall A Grade EXL Smooth Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of whom had previously worked for Charatan and who had worked their way up to being carvers Charatan’s higher-end, non-standard shapes. Jones and Barnes’ pipes quickly grew to being something of a status symbol, and were enjoyed by King Hussein of Jordan, Anwar Sadat, Bing Crosby, Yul Brynner, Robert Wagner and Tom Selleck. The company also made house-brand pipes for Astleys in London. James Upshall pipes are no longer made, but their reputation as some of the finest hand-turned British pipes continues to endure.

The “Ex.L,” or “Extra Large” was the second largest size designation accorded to James Upshall pipes, though it should be noted that the only James Upshall pipes that exceeded their stature were the very rare, magnum-sized Empire Series. One could think of the James Upshall Extra Large as comparable to a Charatan Extra Large freehand, for example, with the Empire Series being more like if there was a such thing as a Charatan Extra, Extra Large. On the other hand, the James Upshall size groups could be rather loose at times, with this “A” grade being a good example. Having handled many a James Upshall pipe in my time, I’d think it more somewhere in between the average Ex.L and an Empire magnum, as it is an exceptionally tall and lengthy take on the classic billiard. Even better, it’s also beautifully cut, with straight grain lining the entirety of its soaring bowl.

This pipe is completely unsmoked. Some slight handling marks, though nothing major.

Details:

Length: 7.1″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.86 / 21.84mm

Bowl Depth: 1.85″ / 46.99mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 60g