Stanwell Reg Era Royal Briar 314 Smooth Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

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.

While Stanwell is known today for its eccentric Danish designs, the company began with the intention of crafting pipes modeled on the classics of English briars—which was part of the reason Poul Nielsen opted for the “Stanwell” name in the first place. In fact, Stanwell was manufacturing traditional billiards under the Kyringe name all the way back in the 1940s, before the switch to Stanwell was formalized. The catalog shape “14” seen here (the first digit in the model number—here “3”—referred to the finish in Stanwell’s early decades), however, appears to have been introduced in the 1960s and was essentially a slightly smaller sister shape to Stanwell’s flagship large saddle billiard, the “13.” Interestingly, of all of Stanwell’s shapes, the 13 and 14 have had some of the longest lifespans of all of Stanwell’s shapes, and unlike most of the company’s famous “Danish designs,” remained in production until quite recently (exactly what is going on with Stanwell these days is anyone’s guess). This one is a really nice Royal Briar rendition of the 14, with good vertical grain and a deep, ruby red stain. I’d estimate it to be a 1960s/early 1970s make.

The condition is good. Some darkening and finish wear on the rim.

Details:

Length: 5.7″ / 144.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.82 / 20.82mm

Bowl Depth: 1.74″ / 44.19mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 48g