KB&B Pre-1955 Yello-Bole Smooth Apple Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

KB&B, or Kaufmann Bros & Bondy, was an American pipe company established in the mid-19th century, most famous today for having created Kaywoodie. The company originally made pipes under the KB&B name, but their innovative designs and patents soon led them to market several makes under the KB&B umbrella, including Kaywoodie, Yello-Bole, and CPF.

The Yello-Bole is a genuine relic of days gone by. Originally introduced in 1936, Yello-Bole pipes were distinguished by a specific ingredient used in their bowl coatings, which promised a “sweeter” smoke and a shorter break-in period: honey. While many pipe makers today have their own, preferred methods of aiding the break-in process (such as through bowl coatings of various stripes) and/or facilitating a good flavor throughout use (such as the oil curing used by Ashton or Ferndown), the Yello-Bole belongs to an era of experimentation and innovation in the functional properties of a pipe that has likely not been seen since (though Savinelli does have its own, honey coated pipes via the Miele line). Production of Yello-Bole pipes continued throughout the 20th century, though based on the KB&B cloverleaf stamp on this one, it will have been produced while the make (along with Kaywoodie and others) was still owned by Kaufmann Bros & Bondy, i.e., before 1955 and its sale to S.M. Frank.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original (as mentioned), honey-infused bowl coating. In fact, the pipe still has its retail sticker inside the bowl, which I would recommend removing prior to use. There are a few scratches on the bowl, though I suspect that a few of these will have simply been from briar imperfections, rather than scrapes after production.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm

Bowl Depth: 1.44″ / 36.57mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g