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The Briar Trade: Makers, Manufacturers, and Brands That Time Forgot: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 20:09, 10 September 2023
, 8 months ago→PRESENT-DAY DYNAMICS
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Italy needs mention as well. She played a rather significant role early in the briar trade. She “became the largest producer of pipes in the world, with 35–40 factories located mainly in Lombardy, many of which worked as subcontractors for distributors, often British, who then would put their trade mark (the ‘punzone’) on the finished product” (Anna Grandori, ''Organization and Economic Behavior'', 1995, 321). | Italy needs mention as well. She played a rather significant role early in the briar trade. She “became the largest producer of pipes in the world, with 35–40 factories located mainly in Lombardy, many of which worked as subcontractors for distributors, often British, who then would put their trade mark (the ‘punzone’) on the finished product” (Anna Grandori, ''Organization and Economic Behavior'', 1995, 321). | ||
==PRESENT-DAY DYNAMICS== | === PRESENT-DAY DYNAMICS === | ||
Today, buying a pipe is no longer a simple decision, because there’s, literally, a crowding sea of briar...a full menu of options, so to speak, for any pipe smoker with an appetite. With a cornucopia of briar choices, a pipe smoker just might experience list-thinking, a symptom of our short attention span; listing subconsciously creates patterns, groups and piles of information that seem to come together on their own. Some might already have a written inventory of their briars, or generated a roster of favorite pipe makers or assembled a bucket list of specific pipe maker styles to eventually own. Such lists are personalized, developed to the list-maker’s taste and need. To these list makers, I ask: What about the utility and benefit to us all of an industry mega-list, one that’s encyclopedic in content? Wouldn’t it be grand if there were a comprehensive archive on the Web that traces and tracks this once-upon-a-time cottage industry that evolved into large-scale, mass-production manufacturers, and that now includes a global community of independent hand craftsmen? With all this pipe hyperactivity, thousands of inquisitive briar smoker-collectors around the world, a free and open Internet, and an extensive online community of pipe aficionados, authorities, connoisseurs, experts, and mavens, isn’t it odd that there’s not been a recent individual initiative or a collective movement to develop a substantive, and all-inclusive—ideally, global—list of makers and manufacturers for this community’s reference and research, one that adds flesh to the briar’s bones? | Today, buying a pipe is no longer a simple decision, because there’s, literally, a crowding sea of briar...a full menu of options, so to speak, for any pipe smoker with an appetite. With a cornucopia of briar choices, a pipe smoker just might experience list-thinking, a symptom of our short attention span; listing subconsciously creates patterns, groups and piles of information that seem to come together on their own. Some might already have a written inventory of their briars, or generated a roster of favorite pipe makers or assembled a bucket list of specific pipe maker styles to eventually own. Such lists are personalized, developed to the list-maker’s taste and need. To these list makers, I ask: What about the utility and benefit to us all of an industry mega-list, one that’s encyclopedic in content? Wouldn’t it be grand if there were a comprehensive archive on the Web that traces and tracks this once-upon-a-time cottage industry that evolved into large-scale, mass-production manufacturers, and that now includes a global community of independent hand craftsmen? With all this pipe hyperactivity, thousands of inquisitive briar smoker-collectors around the world, a free and open Internet, and an extensive online community of pipe aficionados, authorities, connoisseurs, experts, and mavens, isn’t it odd that there’s not been a recent individual initiative or a collective movement to develop a substantive, and all-inclusive—ideally, global—list of makers and manufacturers for this community’s reference and research, one that adds flesh to the briar’s bones? | ||
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The most well documented English pipe is Dunhill. There’s Mary Dunhill, Our Family Business (1979); Michael Balfour, Alfred Dunhill. One Hundred Years and More (1992); and a company-sponsored pamphlet, The Story of Dunhill’s, 1907-1957, with an updated version, The Story of Dunhill’s, 1907–1970. Gary Schrier (www.briarbooks.com) brought to life a reproduction of one of the company’s better catalogues, its 1928 About Smoke. An Encyclopedia of Smoking, a very complete picture of the company’s enduring forte and fame. He’s reprinted two other Dunhill catalogues, About Smoke. Gifts Edition, 1923 and Things The Soldiers Are Asking For, 1914. And he’s done a yeoman’s job with other reminders of those halcyon days: the 1912 BBB catalogue, No. XX; BBB. 100 Years in the Service of Smokers, 1847-1947, and the Loewe Pipe Packet (1910 and 1926 catalogs). Routinely, even lushly illustrated company catalogs did not include an in-depth history. | The most well documented English pipe is Dunhill. There’s Mary Dunhill, ''Our Family Business'' (1979); Michael Balfour, ''Alfred Dunhill. One Hundred Years and More'' (1992); and a company-sponsored pamphlet, ''The Story of Dunhill’s, 1907-1957'', with an updated version, ''The Story of Dunhill’s, 1907–1970''. Gary Schrier (www.briarbooks.com) brought to life a reproduction of one of the company’s better catalogues, its 1928 About Smoke. ''An Encyclopedia of Smoking'', a very complete picture of the company’s enduring forte and fame. He’s reprinted two other Dunhill catalogues, ''About Smoke. Gifts Edition'', 1923 and ''Things The Soldiers Are Asking For'', 1914. And he’s done a yeoman’s job with other reminders of those halcyon days: the 1912 ''BBB catalogue, No. XX; BBB. 100 Years in the Service of Smokers, 1847-1947'', and the ''Loewe Pipe Packet'' (1910 and 1926 catalogs). Routinely, even lushly illustrated company catalogs did not include an in-depth history. | ||
What also comes to mind are J.W. Cole, The GBD St. Claude Story (1976) and Leaves from a Tobaccoman's Log (1970) about Charatan, based on interviews of Herman G. Lane (who adopted America) and written by American R. L. Schnitzer. The late John Loring had invested much time and energy to assemble nomenclature data about and publish four volumes on the Dunhill briar pipe. Several Americans are now writing feverishly in concert with Tom Palmer, the Peterson CEO, to ready The Peterson Pipe Chronicles, to be released in 2015 in conjunction with the company’s 150th anniversary celebration. Additionally, there’s a lot written by Americans on English briar companies that’s posted on the worldwide Web. Why is that? What’s our fascination with, or attraction to, foreign pipe makers, and not to our very own? Our briar industry is not that much younger than our British (and French) counterparts, yet most recent evidence suggests that American pipe smokers seem less interested in documenting our own historic past. Strange, indeed, that about 100 years ago, at least one American, although not remarking on English-made briars, touted our workmanship: “French briar pipes are justly celebrated, but the American pipes are better made” (W. A. Brennan, Tobacco Leaves. Being A Book of Facts for Smokers, 1915, 161). The published evidence, to date, suggests that today’s American briar pipe man does not hold the same opinion. | What also comes to mind are J.W. Cole, ''The GBD St. Claude Story'' (1976) and ''Leaves from a Tobaccoman's Log'' (1970) about Charatan, based on interviews of Herman G. Lane (who adopted America) and written by American R. L. Schnitzer. The late John Loring had invested much time and energy to assemble nomenclature data about and publish four volumes on the Dunhill briar pipe. Several Americans are now writing feverishly in concert with Tom Palmer, the Peterson CEO, to ready ''The Peterson Pipe Chronicles'', to be released in 2015 in conjunction with the company’s 150th anniversary celebration. Additionally, there’s a lot written by Americans on English briar companies that’s posted on the worldwide Web. Why is that? What’s our fascination with, or attraction to, foreign pipe makers, and not to our very own? Our briar industry is not that much younger than our British (and French) counterparts, yet most recent evidence suggests that American pipe smokers seem less interested in documenting our own historic past. Strange, indeed, that about 100 years ago, at least one American, although not remarking on English-made briars, touted our workmanship: “French briar pipes are justly celebrated, but the American pipes are better made” (W. A. Brennan, ''Tobacco Leaves. Being A Book of Facts for Smokers'', 1915, 161). The published evidence, to date, suggests that today’s American briar pipe man does not hold the same opinion. | ||
PRESERVATION AND PERPETUATION | === PRESERVATION AND PERPETUATION === | ||
Le Musée de la Pipe, du Diamant et du Lapidaire, St. Claude, has a permanent exhibit of myriad, artistic briars from the late 19th century through the early 20th century. During its tenure, the aforementioned BPTA—not to be confused with the (UK) Pipe & Pipe Tobacco Trade Association—chartered “to encourage the development and promote and protect the interests of the briar pipe industry and generally to watch over and protect the interests of manufacturers and wholesalers of briar pipes and smokers’ articles” kept a register of trademarks, conducted public relations campaigns, introduced the “Pipeman of the Year” program, set stringent standards and guidelines for member manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers and agents of finished pipes, bowls, and mouthpieces trade, but never maintained an archive. When the UK smoking ban in the work place took effect in the early 1970s, the BPTA ceased to exist. | Le Musée de la Pipe, du Diamant et du Lapidaire, St. Claude, has a permanent exhibit of myriad, artistic briars from the late 19th century through the early 20th century. During its tenure, the aforementioned BPTA—not to be confused with the (UK) Pipe & Pipe Tobacco Trade Association—chartered “to encourage the development and promote and protect the interests of the briar pipe industry and generally to watch over and protect the interests of manufacturers and wholesalers of briar pipes and smokers’ articles” kept a register of trademarks, conducted public relations campaigns, introduced the “Pipeman of the Year” program, set stringent standards and guidelines for member manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers and agents of finished pipes, bowls, and mouthpieces trade, but never maintained an archive. When the UK smoking ban in the work place took effect in the early 1970s, the BPTA ceased to exist. | ||
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A WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR? | === A WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR? === | ||
If a detailed and expansive history of our briar trade is a worthwhile endeavor, it is left to us, not the league of pipe makers, to undertake. It’s Pipedia’s wish: “It would be great to see an overview of the history of pipe making in each region.” And, I would add, not just those of the here and now, but also of yesterday. If such a database is maintained by a reader of this magazine, he ought to share it, make it public-domain information so that those interested can access it, fill in the blanks, make it more robust, more comprehensive by adding an abstract, an historically relevant snippet, a brief summary of a company’s productive life in a sort of Wikipedia (or Pipedia) way or, perhaps, as a cloud system or data warehouse, because there are, unquestionably, lots of blanks. Or, if anyone is interested in expanding or delving deeper into Jung’s research endeavor independently or in collaboration with him, that would be great for our hobby. How many American pipe aficionados are energized enough to investigate and publish the lengthy history of Demuth, or KBB, or Weber, or any other American brand? (I confess that at least two substantive articles on Demuth have been published: “Profiles of Pioneers of the Pipe and Tobacco Industries: William Demuth (1835–1911),” a detailed account of the family and the business from tobacco historian Jonathan Guss at http://www.apassionforpipes.com/vintages-project, and my own, “A Legendary Company Gone, While Its Logo Lives On: The Other Demuth,” in CIGAR Magazine, Spring 2010, and there may yet be more to recount about this extraordinary pipe company.) | If a detailed and expansive history of our briar trade is a worthwhile endeavor, it is left to us, not the league of pipe makers, to undertake. It’s Pipedia’s wish: “It would be great to see an overview of the history of pipe making in each region.” And, I would add, not just those of the here and now, but also of yesterday. If such a database is maintained by a reader of this magazine, he ought to share it, make it public-domain information so that those interested can access it, fill in the blanks, make it more robust, more comprehensive by adding an abstract, an historically relevant snippet, a brief summary of a company’s productive life in a sort of Wikipedia (or Pipedia) way or, perhaps, as a cloud system or data warehouse, because there are, unquestionably, lots of blanks. Or, if anyone is interested in expanding or delving deeper into Jung’s research endeavor independently or in collaboration with him, that would be great for our hobby. How many American pipe aficionados are energized enough to investigate and publish the lengthy history of Demuth, or KBB, or Weber, or any other American brand? (I confess that at least two substantive articles on Demuth have been published: “Profiles of Pioneers of the Pipe and Tobacco Industries: William Demuth (1835–1911),” a detailed account of the family and the business from tobacco historian Jonathan Guss at http://www.apassionforpipes.com/vintages-project, and my own, “A Legendary Company Gone, While Its Logo Lives On: The Other Demuth,” in ''CIGAR Magazine'', Spring 2010, and there may yet be more to recount about this extraordinary pipe company.) | ||
Jim Lilley, a Peterson pipe aficionado, has a way with words: “The pipe connoisseur might be defined as a laconic pipe historian, and the pipe historian as a loquacious connoisseur.” Is there anyone in our community of pipe smokers willing to assume the mantle of carrying out this effort as either a laconic historian or a loquacious connoisseur? Just as Pipedia states on its main page: “Knowledgeable enthusiasts, collectors, pipe makers, and tobacconists are welcome and encouraged to contribute to Pipedia,” I would offer that these same people could contribute to my proposed endeavor, or expand Pipedia’s noble efforts to serve any and all who are interested in the lengthy history of this colorful, but unscripted and uncelebrated, industry. Harking back to my comment about an open and free Internet, it has transformed the once impossible into the eminently doable. But be forewarned: it is, without question, a herculean task. How does one undertake an elephantine project? One byte at a time, and all who contribute will enjoy the bytes along the way. | Jim Lilley, a Peterson pipe aficionado, has a way with words: “The pipe connoisseur might be defined as a laconic pipe historian, and the pipe historian as a loquacious connoisseur.” Is there anyone in our community of pipe smokers willing to assume the mantle of carrying out this effort as either a laconic historian or a loquacious connoisseur? Just as Pipedia states on its main page: “Knowledgeable enthusiasts, collectors, pipe makers, and tobacconists are welcome and encouraged to contribute to Pipedia,” I would offer that these same people could contribute to my proposed endeavor, or expand Pipedia’s noble efforts to serve any and all who are interested in the lengthy history of this colorful, but unscripted and uncelebrated, industry. Harking back to my comment about an open and free Internet, it has transformed the once impossible into the eminently doable. But be forewarned: it is, without question, a herculean task. How does one undertake an elephantine project? One byte at a time, and all who contribute will enjoy the bytes along the way. | ||