BENTLEY by Former

[sstodvictory]

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My local pipe store has a stash of these, BENTLEY, designed by Hans Jonny Nielsen (aka. Former) and manufactured on machines of his own design, marketed mainly in Europe I think. The ones I've seen are all billiards, pots and apples, various shades of ruby with dark under stain to bring out the grain, like this one. Gorgeous to the last. They are no longer made. I have not been able to find any information about the numbers it's stamped with.

I suspect they might be rare in the U.S. Anyone else seen these around, especially in other stains?

Steve

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[Frost]

That is certainly a georgeous pipe. I have seen a few pipes go on ebay under the name Bentley, but I suspect they are not related to your pipe, as they appear to be of an entirely different quality and do not look similar from what I can tell. Pipedia has a reference under Former and also a little blurb under Bentley.

 

[sstodvictory]

I went back today and asked to see every Bentley-Former they have. They broke out four boxes of new pipes that were not on display, making about 5 dozen in total. The story is they bought the remaining inventory soon after manufacturing was discontinued and have since sold about half of them. They are at Jon's Pipe Shop in Urbana, IL. I walked out with three more pipes - a bent acorn saddle, a long shanked saddle billiard and a lovat, all in a medium walnut stain, which is grade 2

Many of the classic shapes were there, about 20% of them in various degrees of bent, round-oval-diamond shanks represented, all with the dark under stain to accent the grain. They all looked well drilled to me, although on some of the bents I had to fiddle with a pipe cleaner a bit to push it all the way through. All the pipes have a larger than usual diameter tenon, making for an easy silky-smooth feeling between the stem and shank. Some pipes have silver bands. At the bit the smoke channel flares out wide, which I like.

The left-most number is the pipe grade: 1 for the lightest stain and best grain (more straight), 2 is medium walnut stain (mix of birdseye and stormy swirls and tiger stripe), and 3 for the ruby stain. The right-most number is for the shape. Still don't know what the middle numbers are for. The 2's were priced in the mid-$200's range, and the 3's at $195. There are not very many 1's. All the pipes were very pretty.

Steve

 

[sstodvictory]

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Here are the other BENTLEY-Former' Design - all grade 2. I had to wait for diffuse natural light on a weekend to get these photos - such round and shiny things! I have found them to be superb smokers. In the bottom photo the shape numbers are (top to bottom): 112, 56, 16.

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[Frost]

Wow, those pipes really pop! Very nice. I especially like the 112.

 

[cutshot]

Very nice looking pipes I love the Danish flare, very cool! #56 is my style for sure.

 

[jeremyt]

You have 3 very nice additions . Way to go .

 

[Justpipes]

Outstaning pipes Steve! They all look like great no nonesense smokes.

 

[pipe dreamer]

I have a light bent billiard from euro mkt. 9mm. his pipes sell for a lot. Great smoker however, mine will never be for sale. He makes them and moves.
last location known by me is Alpascia.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow, those pipes really pop! Very nice. I especially like the 112.

Ditto what Frost said!

 

[gkhanna74]

I have about 50-60 pipes, many from notable makers (Dunhill, Castello, etc). Time and again, my favorites are the three Bentley Former's Design pipes that I bought from Jon's Pipe Shop in Champaign, IL.

 

[Anonymous]

NICE pipes, Bro ! 8)

:face:

 

[George Kaplan]

Setting aside the fact that this thread just popped up from nearly three years ago, let me ask this:
How can these be called Bentleys when almost all of them are staightleys?

 

[gkhanna74]

It's funny that this is a 3 year old thread. I was googling Bentley Formers Design to see if I could find any estate pipe listings out there (wanted to give myself a belated Christmas gift), and the BoB thread popped up. I am glad we all refreshed the thread b/c Bentleys is a hidden gem worthy of more air time

Happy New Year in advance to all of you, by the way