James Upshall A Grade EXL Smooth Dublin 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. As such, James Upshall’s Ex.L were indeed big pipes, especially when it came to bowl height, as this was the principal measure by which the workshop’s size groupings operated. This Ex.L, for example, is a tall, palm-filling Dublin rendition, with a chamber deep and wide enough to satisfy for a couple of hours at a time with the right cut. Being a James Upshall, it’s also beautifully carved, with its bounty of straight grain shining through a reserved, chestnut finish.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. Some small scratches around the rim, though nothing major.

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.96 / 24.38mm

Bowl Depth: 1.81″ / 45.97mm

Weight: 2.2oz / 64g