Yea we do know!!
These are members of the South African community that go unnoticed by the pipe lore in South Africa!
They are all characters.
I have just returned from Xhosa Country in the former Transkei, now the eastern cape. This is Mandela country. Part of the local culture is pipe smoking, woman more than the men. I was fortunate to smoke a bowl or two around these wonderful people.
They are poor, pipes are hand crafted or hand me down basket pipes. At a stage I wished I had a hand full of cobs to hand out.
A pitty I did not have my camera around at the time.
None of these people knew I smoked a pipe and the morning I broke out my sav. 3613 up on the hill with OJK for breakfast, my social status climbed 5 fold.
Two gardeners in the museum complex scored a bowl off OJK from me. In turn I was offered something they call BB. Real cheap low grade otc baccy.
Both agreed that it was HO and did not like it much!
These are basic people, they smoke what they smoke and the pipe becomes an extension of their personalities.
The Xhosa people are by fare the greatest pipe smokers in our country. They appreciated my passion for it!
The old man in the picture is smoking a Keyser system pipe. They are exclusively mand for the RSA market in the UK and are robust and strong to withstand outdoor use. No mess no fuss kinda pipes. The white farming community are all smokers too and I am sure this is where this pipe came from as a hand me down.
This is a typical Keyser, in for refirb.
A pic of a local carved Xhosa "Dublin" blackwood bowl, wooden stem.
Smoking OJK for breakfast in Xhosa Country! note the rural village in the valley.