James Upshall P Grade Smooth Diamond Shank Pot Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

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.

I know I talk about it a lot, but I’m always fascinated to see parts of Charatan that “lived on” (or, rather, “continued“) in James Upshall. Certain shapes, like the Newmarket, were carried over into the Tilshead workshop’s output, even retaining their Charatan names. Certain finishes, like the P, also emulated those of Charatan, with the “P” name being a nod to precisely what Barnes and Jones were emulating. In the case of this one, it’s a P grade, meaning its finish was modeled on the contrast stain used on the old Charatan (though at a quality comparable to the latter’s Distinction grade, per Barnes). But it also calls back to a rather specific shape from the later Reuben era and the Lane era: the “89” “Bent Pot.” F. Charatan & Son, especially during Ken’s and Barry’s time working there, made liberal use of diamond shanks, both in standard, catalog shapes, and in the designs of its freehand workshop. The Bent Pot was a classic, and it’s hard to think of a group of pipe makers more worthy of creating an homage to it (and indeed to Charatan’s other shapes and styles) than the Tilshead Pipe Company. This one is especially nice, with excellent straight grain, and looks to have been made circa 1990, before James Upshall pipes featured stamps indicating their size.

The condition is very good. Minor inner rim darkening and slight handling marks.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.76″ / 44.70mm

Weight: 2.4oz / 70g