Kaywoodie Flame Grain 79 Smooth Long Lovat Estate Briar Pipe, American Estates

Description

Kaywoodie pipes are as American as apple pie. Starting in 1919 as a pipe brand for KB&B, a pipe shop dating all the way back to 1851, Kaywoodie has since then been a staple of American-made pipes. In the present, many Kaywoodies are collectors’ items, in addition to being fantastic smokers.

Kaywoodie’s shape 79 is a curious one. First off, it’s an early shape, already present in the 1936 catalog, and as such it completely pre-empts the much later, very Italian tradition of producing designs just like it. It’s also curious because it demonstrates just how much the names and specifications conventionally used in pipe design are exactly that—conventions. Kaywoodie called this shape, the 79, their “Large Canadian, Saddle Bit”. Now that the dust has more or less settled on Ango-French shape standards, I think that most would agree that it is instead a long Lovat—and an incredibly lightweight, clenchable one at that. What can be safely agreed upon, however, is that this is a pipe very much deserving of the “Flame Grain” appellation. It is turned from remarkably beautiful briar and is in general finished wonderfully. Based on the positioning of the “Kaywoodie” and “Flame Grain” nomenclature, I would estimate this to have been made around the 1940s. As was typical of pipes of the time, this one has a large, four-hole Drinkless stinger and Synchro-Stem threaded fitment.

The condition is fair. The chamber is over-reamed, though not to a disqualifying extent, there’s some inner rim charring, and light tooth chatter.

 

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 1.47″ / 37.33mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 34g