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Loewe & Co.: Difference between revisions
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Loewe is one of the haunting old names of British pipe-making, characteristic of an almost vanished "upper middle class" of the trade, which also incorporated makes such as BBB, Orlik, Comoy's and GBD. Along with these brands, Loewe has long dwindled into pseudo-existence, becoming little more than a logo occasionally used by the Cadogan factory in Southend-on-Sea. But owners of older Loewes treasure them as superb, featherweight smokers, excellently crafted and with grain characteristics superior to those of many contemporary Dunhills. | Loewe is one of the haunting old names of British pipe-making, characteristic of an almost vanished "upper middle class" of the trade, which also incorporated makes such as BBB, Orlik, Comoy's and GBD. Along with these brands, Loewe has long dwindled into pseudo-existence, becoming little more than a logo occasionally used by the Cadogan factory in Southend-on-Sea. But owners of older Loewes treasure them as superb, featherweight smokers, excellently crafted and with grain characteristics superior to those of many contemporary Dunhills. | ||
The Frenchman Emil Loewe founded the company, both shop and workshop, in 1856 at the | [[File:Loewe 1928.jpg|thumb|1928 Ad, courtesy Doug Valitchka]]]][[File:Loewe.jpg|thumb|Ad, courtesy Doug Valitchka]]The Frenchman Emil Loewe founded the company, both shop and workshop, in 1856 at the Haymarket 62, London. He is said to have been the first to make briar pipes in England. Richard Hacker maintains that theatre people from the West End were among the shop's heyday aficionados. Loewe's spigots are especially well regarded by lovers of elegance today - they were originally introduced for practical reasons, to facilitate the production of replacement stems for customers abroad. | ||
Haymarket 62, London. He is said to have been the first to make briar pipes in England. Richard Hacker maintains that theatre people from the West End were among the shop's heyday aficionados. Loewe's spigots are especially well regarded by lovers of elegance today - they were originally introduced for practical reasons, to facilitate the production of replacement stems for customers abroad. | |||
The firm and its facilities were later taken over by Civic, well before becoming a fully integrated part of the Cadogan group sometime in the final quarter of the twentieth century. As with other brands belonging to this group, it is not easy to pinpoint a date marking the end of Loewe's independence and singularity. This is partly due to Cadogan's own development from a cooperative to a monolithic entity. | The firm and its facilities were later taken over by Civic, well before becoming a fully integrated part of the Cadogan group sometime in the final quarter of the twentieth century. As with other brands belonging to this group, it is not easy to pinpoint a date marking the end of Loewe's independence and singularity. This is partly due to Cadogan's own development from a cooperative to a monolithic entity. | ||
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place at some stage before the Cadogan-era proper. | place at some stage before the Cadogan-era proper. | ||
From what I can gather, Cardogan's various brands continued to be made in separate facilities | [[File:Loewes.jpg|thumb|Courtesy Doug Valitchka]]From what I can gather, Cardogan's various brands continued to be made in separate facilities | ||
throughout the1970s. It was the purchase of Orlik in 1980 that enabled the Cadogan group to | throughout the1970s. It was the purchase of Orlik in 1980 that enabled the Cadogan group to | ||
consolidate all manufacturing in that company's new factory in Southend-on-Sea. Whether or not | consolidate all manufacturing in that company's new factory in Southend-on-Sea. Whether or not | ||