James Upshall S Grade EXL Spiral Billiard 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. Sadly, James Upshall pipes are no longer made, but their reputation as some of the finest hand-turned British pipes lives on.

Along with the early Ashton Claret and the Ferndown Reo, James Upshall’s “S” grade pipes were defined by their deep, reddish-brown finishes, evoking the golden years of the English pipe factories. Despite this commonality in approaches to finishes, the forms taken by James Upshall pipes were something wholly unto their own. Forged in the fire of the Charatan freehand workshop, James Upshall’s shaping ranged from the eminently traditional to the genuinely experimental. This S grade sits right in the middle of that range. In essence it is good old English billiard, albeit an Extra Large rendition of one (in terms of proportions, this one actually strikes me as closer to Upshall’s magnum, Empire Series pipes), but it has been meticulously carved with a spiraling, almost floral motif, around the bowl. Those familiar with English history will know of the red rose’s significance so, whether intentional or not, it is quite fitting in a number of ways. This Upshall also has the privilege of featuring a hand-cut cumberland stem, which was a far from standard, premium addition within the James Upshall catalog.

The condition is great. Minor inner rim darkening.

 

Details:

Length: 7.4″ / 187.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm

Bowl Depth: 1.77″ / 44.95mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 62g