Personal Reserve by Bill Taylor Sandblasted Lovat Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Personal Reserve pipes were made by William Ashton Taylor of Ashton Pipes (those Made in England) and Luigi Radice of Radice (those made in Italy), but their origin is a fascinating story in itself. These pipes were commissioned by Barry Levin, whose venture, Levin Pipes International (LPI), arguably first kicked off the modern estate pipes industry. In the 1980s, and together with the then-unknown J.T. Cooke, Levin would purchase pipes from estates that were being liquidated, restore them, and sell them on for others to enjoy. Eventually, Levin became so successful that he was able to commission new pipes from some of the best makers around. Out of these agreements, the Levin Pipes International and Personal Reserve makes were born.

Barry Levin was a fascinating and extremely influential figure in the modern smoking pipes scene, and he also had impeccable taste in pipes and tobacco. In the case of the latter, Levin partnered with the now-legendary McClelland company to produce LPI-brand blends; in the case of the former, he turned to equally legendary figures such as Bill Taylor and his Ashton workshop to produce pipes for him. And, funnily enough, both the blends and the pipes bore the same name: Personal Reserve. This Lovat, from Taylor’s Ashton, is a classic, compact Lovat, showing off the kind of craggy sandblast finish that Taylor is arguably best remembered for. An easy clencher, the pipe doesn’t sacrifice on chamber capacity, making it the perfect traveling companion.

The condition is very good. Slight wear to the rim and a very small nick at the top of the inner chamber, but nothing major.

Details:

Length: 5″ / 127.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.75 / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 1.55″ / 39.37mm

Weight: 0.9oz / 28g