James Upshall A Grade Group 6 Smooth “Huntsman” Zulu Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

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.

Not unlike at Charatan, James Upshall’s grading system underwent a number of evolutions and expansion during the make’s lifetime. The latter’s “A” grade was introduced by Barry Jones in the 1990s, acting as an intermediate tier between the “S” and the “P.” A new finish was also introduced to mark the “A” grade; while the “S” had a deep, claret hue and the “P” wore a golden contrast stain, the “A” was dressed in a chestnut top-coat, one that was relatively reserved, yet still clear enough to let the briar’s grain patterns shine through.

This one takes the form of a flame grained “Huntsman,” a rather stout design that began life back at F. Charatan & Son during the “Reuben era.” Such borrowings were far from uncommon at the Tilshead workshop, which took up many classic Charatan shapes for its own catalog, along with the naming conventions first established by Reuben Charatan. The “Huntsman” was Reuben’s take on what we today might call a “Zulu,” or a “yachtsman” if we wanted to be more accurate. For Reuben (and for his young apprentice, Barry Jones) it was the “61” “Huntsman,” which wove far more heft into the form than its counterparts in the early Anglo-French scene, while also adding a little more of a Dublinesque flare to the bowl.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl. Some minor scuffing on the rim, though nothing major.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.86 / 21.84mm

Bowl Depth: 1.58″ / 40.13mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 60g