A Rarity? Anyone know about GBDs?

[user 2031]

That's a totally cool pipe. Quite a different piece to add to a collection. 8)

 

[Richard Burley]

I hear everything that's being said about this wonderful piece, including GLP's (Welcome back, sir!). How some ever, I'm still trying to get my head around the "MR&C" on the silver. Why would that stamping be on a 1957 pipe? Just askin'!! :cheers: FTRPLT

Ditto. And bingo. That was the primary mystery to me, the rest just variable details. Old factory stock silver, maybe?

 

[kaitlyn3837]

Wow, what a piece!  Yep, that one on GL Pease's page is the only other one that I have seen.

The lower case b is also used in '57, which makes more sense, given the New Standard finish and perspex.  
Tip:  A cell phone camera, zoomed in takes great close-up shots (no flash, under a light).  4
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/hamilton-khaki-chronograph-4567773.html

That's an amazing find, rare indeed.  It looks to be in great shape, congratulations!

Yippee! Riff raff has joined us! Thank you for your input because you are a bit of the "GBD King" around here!

Now that I have you here, I must ask: Are the charts from the "PipePhil" charts completely off then?

I will try the phone trick soon though!

 

[kaitlyn3837]

A couple things. Your pipe has a London hallmark, and that lower case, italicized serif 'b' would indicate 1957, which is consistent with everything else. The New Standard came fairly late to the party. I don't know exactly when, but it was certainly around by '57. Perspex was invented, if I recall correctly, ca. 1929, and I've seen it on a couple pipes from the 30s, and GBD were certainly using it quite a lot in the 50s and beyond. From the cut of that stem, it's almost certainly original.

The brass rondelle always puzzles me. In the 50s, GBD were still using silver rondelles on everything EXCEPT the perspex stems. In fact, the only silver rondelle I've seen on a Perspex stem is the one on my 1937 piece. I have never been able to ascertain a date when they switched to brass on everything, but I suspect it was sometime in the 60s or early 70s. (GBDs are impossible to date without hallmarked silver. There is no consistency with regard to stamping, tenon shape, hand-cut vs. molded mouthpieces, mortise countersinking, top chamfer. I can sometimes get a "feel" for era with them, but this only slightly more accurate or reliable than asking a OUIJA board for the answer.)

At any rate, it's a rare and cool pipe. And, like mine, yours is missing a piece. When the pipe was originally sold, it came with an albatross bone extension, similarly fitted with silver mounts. I have seen one complete example, and it was absolutely stunning.

Wow, I don't know if you popped in by chance or because someone invited you, but thank you for joining in the party! I am honored to meet you and thank you for your information! I had been searching for hours when I finally came across your page and pictures of your collection.

So 1957 is the time when this beauty came about according to the group and your expertise. Wow!

 

[kaitlyn3837]

I hear everything that's being said about this wonderful piece, including GLP's (Welcome back, sir!). How some ever, I'm still trying to get my head around the "MR&C" on the silver. Why would that stamping be on a 1957 pipe? Just askin'!! :cheers: FTRPLT

Ditto. And bingo. That was the primary mystery to me, the rest just variable details. Old factory stock silver, maybe?

frplt and Richard Burley, I don't know a ton about GBD's but perhaps they had it on some pieces as nod to the previous owners/makers? Or was that not a thing? Just throwing out ideas because I really don't know diddly squat about this craziness!

 

[kaitlyn3837]

... and now I can't find anything about a shape "73" that even remotely comes close to the shape of this pipe. I hope Riff Raff does chime in if he gets a minute!

I'M SO CONFUSED!

I'm curious: that's not a "13" is it, instead of a "73"? The number 13 would make it an oompaul (Hungarian). Sometimes numbers get a bit stylized, the "1" looking amazingly like a "7". Just a thought.

Ooh! I forgot to reply to this one too. It is DEFINITELY a "73". I checked it in 3 different lightings (with my contacts in )

 

[glpease]

Thanks for the welcome!

Marechal Ruchon & Cie. sold the brand to Oppenheimer in 1902 or so, who changed it to Marechal, Ruchon & Co, Ltd, and used the mark freely. There are rumours that the MR&C brand ceased to exist once Cadogan was formed in 1920, but that's not exactly the case. Whether or not the actual brand continued to exist, Oppenheimer/GBD stamped their silver work with the MR&C marks at least through the 50s, and possibly into the 60s, though I've not seen one that recent.

I hear everything that's being said about this wonderful piece, including GLP's (Welcome back, sir!). How some ever, I'm still trying to get my head around the "MR&C" on the silver. Why would that stamping be on a 1957 pipe? Just askin'!! :cheers: FTRPLT

 

[kaitlyn3837]

Thanks for the welcome!

Marechal Ruchon & Cie. sold the brand to Oppenheimer in 1902 or so, who changed it to Marechal, Ruchon & Co, Ltd, and used the mark freely. There are rumours that the MR&C brand ceased to exist once Cadogan was formed in 1920, but that's not exactly the case. Whether or not the actual brand continued to exist, Oppenheimer/GBD stamped their silver work with the MR&C marks at least through the 50s, and possibly into the 60s, though I've not seen one that recent.

I hear everything that's being said about this wonderful piece, including GLP's (Welcome back, sir!). How some ever, I'm still trying to get my head around the "MR&C" on the silver. Why would that stamping be on a 1957 pipe? Just askin'!! :cheers: FTRPLT

It looks like the mystery has indeed been solved then! 1957 sounds right for the markings, the lower case "b", the "new standard" line, AND the perspex stem! Awesome sauce! I wish someone would follow up on your work and documentation and put together a comprehensive history, pics, and info. PipePhil and Pipedia helped me a bit but there is obviously a lot of missing information!

Thank you all for your help, expertise, and info! Now comes the hard part... Deciding whether to tuck it away or sell it to a collector of GBD's! UGH, decisions, decisions.

 

[ftrplt]

Thanks for the welcome!

Marechal Ruchon & Cie. sold the brand to Oppenheimer in 1902 or so, who changed it to Marechal, Ruchon & Co, Ltd, and used the mark freely. There are rumours that the MR&C brand ceased to exist once Cadogan was formed in 1920, but that's not exactly the case. Whether or not the actual brand continued to exist, Oppenheimer/GBD stamped their silver work with the MR&C marks at least through the 50s, and possibly into the 60s, though I've not seen one that recent.

I hear everything that's being said about this wonderful piece, including GLP's (Welcome back, sir!). How some ever, I'm still trying to get my head around the "MR&C" on the silver. Why would that stamping be on a 1957 pipe? Just askin'!! :cheers: FTRPLT

And I thank you, sir, for all your super information! You're supposed to learn something new everyday...and I just did!! :cheers: FTRPLT

 

[fishnbanjo]

Kaitlyn, how often will you have such a rare pipe to smoke on a special occasion, I think you owe it to yourself to smoke it and let that help you decide since it may be your best smoker and wouldn’t it be a shame to never know?
banjo

 

[kaitlyn3837]

Kaitlyn, how often will you have such a rare pipe to smoke on a special occasion, I think you owe it to yourself to smoke it and let that help you decide since it may be your best smoker and wouldn’t it be a shame to never know?
banjo

Ohhhh you do have a good point! I better clean it up and see how it smokes