Jim, you dog!

[Idlefellow]

Ever since I saw your SH Baker Street I've wanted one like it; it had to have the beaded groove lines. Finally found it...

Now to find one of the original Baskerville shapes like yours, instead of the shape they're calling a Baskerville nowadays... .

 

[JimInks]

I'm very pleased you got one, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine. My Terracotta Baker Street came from a friend of mine in Romania after I told him how much I liked his more than mine, which is a sandblast with a fishtail bit. He found an unsmoked one and sent it to me as a "thank you" for all the advice I had given him over the years. I had always wanted one, but couldn't afford it, and the one he gave me is a great smoker and I love it. M'lady said it's her favorite pipe in my collection.

I have three Baskervilles. The sandblast and PSB are estates haven't been smoked by me, and were barely smoked by who I got them from. I haven't smoked those two because I haven't figured out what genre to devote to them. I can be very slow about that. Since you haven't seen those two, I'll post them.

 

[Idlefellow]

Great story on the Baker Street Jim; very special! The two Baskervilles above are very nice and do have the shape I'm looking for, but your smooth finish pipe is the one I lust after. At some point they've changed the shape (maybe it's just my eye but the original has a tighter bend and much more egg shape with rounder bottom to the bowl); the more recent ones seem very close to the Watson. Not necessarily a bad thing but I just love your "old" smooth Baskerville.

 

[Rasher-Roll]

Beautiful pipes all around, boys! I always thought it would be fitting to get one of the Sherlock Holmes pipes, though my bucket list Pete will likely forever be the Great Explorers Tom Crean pipe. Thus far my favorite I’ve acquired was last years Christmas pipe with the copper accent. Wish I’d picked up a couple more of them. The folks at Peterson sure know how to make a beautiful, well-smoking pipe!

 

[JimInks]

Great story on the Baker Street Jim; very special! The two Baskervilles above are very nice and do have the shape I'm looking for, but your smooth finish pipe is the one I lust after. At some point they've changed the shape (maybe it's just my eye but the original has a tighter bend and much more egg shape with rounder bottom to the bowl); the more recent ones seem very close to the Watson. Not necessarily a bad thing but I just love your "old" smooth Baskerville.

Thanks. I much prefer the smooth, too. Even still, some day I'll smoke the others. And yes, I have seen variations in the Baskerville shape. Hope you find what you're looking for.

 

[ftrplt]

I've enjoyed this particular thread for no other reason than I too have a 1998 (so says SPs!) SH Baskerville Terracotta. Comparing mine to the two pics Brother Jim shows, my bowl is a bit taller than his. However, I also note that Jim's are slightly different in cut. Note the bead line placement...the top shape is cut lower than the bottom. Not knowing the age of these briars, maybe the carver's just made different cuts or that was the bead line style at the time. No matter...all great looking briars!! FTRPLT

 

[JimInks]

I've enjoyed this particular thread for no other reason than I too have a 1998 (so says SPs!) SH Baskerville Terracotta. Comparing mine to the two pics Brother Jim shows, my bowl is a bit taller than his. However, I also note that Jim's are slightly different in cut. Note the bead line placement...the top shape is cut lower than the bottom. Not knowing the age of these briars, maybe the carver's just made different cuts or that was the bead line style at the time. No matter...all great looking briars!! FTRPLT

You should be able to date yours by the silver hallmarks. Yes, I noticed the differences you wrote about. That's not uncommon with later models.

The sandblast was made in 2021. The Premium Sandblast was made in 2018.

This one is from 1999:

 

[Idlefellow]

Here's a stock pic of a current Baskerville offering. Note that above the bead the shape appears to be tapered at an angle as opposed to the rounded egg-shape on Jim's pipe, and the front of the bowl is flatter. Also the bottom of the bowl is much flatter as opposed to the round bottom on Jim's. I believe the angle of the bend is less severe than that of Jim's as well although that may be just an illusion.

The current Baskerville shape, to me, is very similar to the Watson (stock photo below) - so much so that would think they were both the same shape if they weren't labeled. I wonder why they continue to offer both, other than the names. The Watson does appear to have a longer stem which flattens out more.

Nor trying to take anything away from current Baskervilles or caste dispersions on those who love them; I just prefer the older shape. I owned a Baskerville for a short time but deemed it smaller than I expected or preferred so I sold it to a member here. Sort of regretting that now .

 

[ftrplt]

Here's my 1998!! Mine does have a F/T bit! FTRPLT