Astley pipes

[bent bulldog]

I have just purchased three beautiful Astley pipes from Karen and Mordecai Ezrati who now own the name Astleys and bought all the remaining inventory along with the rights to use the Astley name back in the early 2000's. Apparently there has been some controversy over the past several years about the provenance of the pipes put out on the market bearing the Astley name and whether or not the pipes were actually made by the major companies (such as Dunhill and Charatan) as has been claimed by the Ezratis. I can tell all the brothers (and sisters) of the briar that as a long time collector and retailer of Dunhill pipes and other major brands these pipes look absolutely authentic to me. Apparently the Ezratis ended up with hundreds if not thousands of stummels and pipes ready for the Astley stamp when they bought the Astley name. They assure me (and any other prospective buyers of the Astley pipes from their stock) that they were required to present proof of purchase of the pipes both to Dunhill (who as we all know are very jealous of their trademark and protect it religiously) and to Ebay in the form of invoices obtained by Mr. Bentley, the owner of Astleys at the time of the purchase. Otherwise they would never be allowed to represent their pipes as Dunhill products on Ebay. Apparently some disgruntled buyer many years ago was dissatisfied with something about his purchase from them and has been bad mouthing their company ever since. I have always been 100% satisfied with all the products and service I have received from Karen and Mordecai Ezrati and just wished to reaffirm that fact with the brothers.

 

[jefe1037]

That is a resounding endorsement. Thank you for sharing.

 

[daveinlax]

WoW! A blast from the past. I thought Monti ( Sp?) passed away a few years ago? Anyway he did own the name, inventory (that seemed never to run out even after a decade or more) and stamps. IMO he killed the legacy and anything that came out of his mouth was BS. I was big into eBay when he was a big player at the time and I followed his buying and selling closely. As I say in this thread he was a suspect seller long before Pipesmagazine hit the internet. :shock:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/astley-pipes-re-stamped-estate-pipes-photos

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Moty Ezrati did pass away a few years ago. I know from watching a few YouTube videos posted by a British bloke that his window has been selling off his massive collection of pipes, tobacco and tobacciana. That’s all I know.

No offense, but as far as having to supply eBay with proof of anything related to an item that’s being put up for sale, I say BS to that. eBay is not to be trusted. They don’t give one ***** about anything but lining their pockets with cash from the fees their members pay for using their service.

 

[bent bulldog]

Sorry gentlemen, I have to disagree. Whether or not the Ezratis had issues with their ebay performance in the distant past, the fact remains that they did purchase hundreds if not thousands of pipes and stummels made for Astleys by major makers such as Dunhill. Don't you think Dunhill would have something to say about it if they saw crappy pipes being sold on ebay or anywhere else under their name? Yet we haven't heard a peep out of Dunhill. As a retired attorney and a pipe collector and dealer since 1974 I contend that the real test here is whether or not these pipes were made for Astleys by companies such as Dunhill. I can tell you that the pipes I bought recently certainly have Dunhill type characteristics so I really don't see any other relevant issues except possible personal misplaced animosity toward these people by a disappointed former customer.

 

[Zeno Marx]

Don't you think Dunhill would have something to say about it if they saw crappy pipes being sold on ebay or anywhere else under their name?

No, not necessarily and apparently not.

As a retired attorney and a pipe collector and dealer since 1974 I contend that the real test here is whether or not these pipes were made for Astleys by companies such as Dunhill.

Absolutely. Such a documented, or publicly attested to, provenance would be huge, and at this point, I would think downright necessary.

...so I really don't see any other relevant issues except possible personal misplaced animosity toward these people by a disappointed former customer.

I think it can be a lot more complicated and nuanced than just that. People attach themselves to brands. They invest in brands on deeper levels. Integrity and trust aren't only about money.

EDIT: personally, I doubt I'll ever be able to trust the brands they owned or touched. For me, they damaged those great names that much, and with no intent on attacking you or starting a negative discussion in light of your new situation, with the attitude you appear to be taking here, you don't seem to be changing that. If someone was to change the sullied trajectory of those brands, it would have to be with great understanding, delicacy, strength, etc. It would take someone of extraordinary capacities beyond business or legal angles...a really special someone or group, and they'd face an 80° uphill battle.

I was never a customer of their era (because the way they did business was gross and suspect from probably the beginning). I don't have any wallet in this fight.

 

[bent bulldog]

I truly do not understand. Let me be as clear as possible, it is clear that the Ezratis purchased the Astley name, the rights to use the name and also purchased a large number of stummels from companies such as Dunhill among others. So apparently your position is that because the Ezratis miht have stamped the Astley nomenclature on the shank of the Dunhill pipes rather than having the stamping done bt Mr. Bentley that sullies the brand? It seems to me if anything it enhances the brand in that the Astley tradition is carried on. What am I not understanding?