James Upshall B Grade EXL Smooth Bulldog 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, along with many of the other major makes of the era. James Upshall pipes are no longer made, but their reputation as some of the finest hand-turned British pipes continues to endure.

During the workshop’s lifetime, most James Upshall pipes were either Tilsheads (which functioned as an “entry level” pipe), or they were “S,” “A,” or “P” grades (which were the workshop’s “standard” grades). But, if a pipe was extraordinarily well grained, it had a chance to become one of James Upshall’s “high-grades.” Given that a “standard” James Upshall was already quite exceptional, these high grades were very special indeed. The “B” was the first rung on the high-grades ladder, one which the late Ken Barnes considered roughly equivalent to a Charatan Executive grade (presumably a Lane era example, as he left Charatan during its acquisition by Dunhill).

Interestingly, while the straight grain consistency of “B” grades was fairly uniform, the finish used appears to have alternated over the years, or perhaps simply been different depending on what Barnes, Jones and their colleagues considered best for a given pipe. Some were lighter and more natural, while others, as in the case of this one, wore a rich, golden contrast finish, one that was even closer to the old Charatan “Perfection” than the “P” grade (which was so-named because its finish was modeled on the Charatan staple). It works especially large on this near-magnum, Extra Large sized bulldog, with the contrast stain creating a distinct vibrancy in the underlying grain as it laps around the pipe’s bowl.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. A couple of very light scratches around the bowl, though nothing major by any stretch.

Details:

Length: 7.3″ / 185.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.98 / 24.89mm

Bowl Depth: 1.88″ / 47.75mm

Weight: 3.3oz / 94g