Stanwell (Reg Era; c.1970s) Royal Briar 355M Smooth Egg with Ebonite Ferrule (Estate)

Stanwell is one of Denmark’s most celebrated and enduring pipe companies, having been founded by Poul Nielsen shortly after the second world war. Over the last six decades, Stanwell has established itself as both a leader in innovative Danish design and for producing well-priced pipes with precision construction and engineering. Many of its designs were created for the company by iconic pipe-makers in the Scandinavian scene, such as Sixten Ivarsson, Anne Julie, Jess Chonowitsch, and Tom Eltang.

Stanwell’s “M” designation is an old one, dating back to the 1970s. It has not been used for decades and even if it were to make a reappearance today, it would not mean exactly the same thing that it did back then. That’s because it was used for pipes with army mounts—or, in the terminology Stanwell used, military mounts, hence the “M”—but with the mounts in question having been fashioned from ebonite, rather than silver, nickel, or indeed any metal. Given that Stanwell has not used ebonite in the construction of their pipes since around 1998, it would be difficult to imagine the designation ever returning.

Only a select few Stanwell shapes were available in an ebonite military-mounted variation (fewer than a dozen, if that) and, based on catalogs from the time they were made, all were distinctly modern in aesthetic, having been originally designed by Stanwell’s collaborators in the Scandinavian artisan scene. Most had been designed by Sixten Ivarsson, though, as it was the 1970s by the time these variations debuted, there were some shapes designed by the other artisans Stanwell had developed close ties with. This particular pipe is an example of the latter, being the “35” bent egg created for Stanwell by Anne Julie. It’s one of the few shapes that can be pinned down to a specific year for its debut, 1975, as it was included in Stanwell’s commemorative Jubilee sets from 1982 onward, which helpfully included such information for die-hard collectors. As such, this pipe will have been made between approximately 1975 and 1980, as it also includes Stanwell’s abridged trademark registration number in its nomenclature (a practice that gave root to the “reg era,” or “registration era” in contemporary periodizations). In case you were wondering why this pipe’s shape code is “335M” rather than “35M,” it’s because the first digit is the finish code, another practice used in Stanwell’s early decades.

Historical minutiae aside, it’s a very lovely pipe, emblematic both of Anne Julie’s early style and of Stanwell’s own aesthetic and technical identity back in the day. Suffice it to say, the “35M” has not been in production for decades, and even the standard “35” seems to have fallen out of production in the time since. It’s unfortunate, but it happens.

The condition is very good. Minor inner rim darkening and a slight nick on the back lip of the rim, though nothing major.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.80 / 20.32mm

Bowl Depth: 1.65″ / 41.91mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 56g