James Upshall B Grade Ex.L Smooth “Full Bent” Billiard (Unsmoked Estate)

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.

“Bent” was a shorthand used by Reuben Charatan to refer to his family make’s bent billiard renditions, a naming convention that would continue through the Lane years and, ultimately, also be utilized by Ken Barnes and Barry Jones when they started their own venture at the Tilshead Pipe Co. Terminology wasn’t the only thing that carried over from Charatan to James Upshall, however. James Upshall’s Bents were, like Charatan’s during the Reuben years, typically plump to a degree that they bordered on the billiard’s close cousin, the brandy, utilizing the form’s broad stature to show off even more of the briar’s innate beauty. This one is an oversized example of a James Upshall “B” grade, which was the make’s answer to Charatan’s “Executive,” distinguished by its superior graining and light, natural, smooth finish.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. Some slight handling marks, though nothing major.

Details:

Length: 7.1″ / 180.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.81 / 20.57mm

Bowl Depth: 1.76″ / 44.70mm

Weight: 3.1oz / 88g