Parker

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En 1922 la Parker Pipe Co Limited fut créée par Alfred Dunhill pour finir et commercialiser ce que Dunhill appelait ses "ratés" ou ce que les collectionneurs ont commencé à appeler des "seconds choix". Auparavant, Dunhill commercialisait ses propres "ratés" souvent désignés par un grand X par dessus le marquage Dunhill habituel ou "Damaged Price" avec le prix réduit gravé "en dur" sur la pipe.

Canadienne lisse Crosscut (Grain croisé) avec l'aimable autorisation de SmokingPipes.com
Billard sablée avec l'aimable autorisation de SmokingPipes.com

Bien que le calendrier et la nature exacte des premières relations demeurent un brin mystérieuses, Parker était destiné à fusionner éventuellement avec Harcastle lorsqu'en 1935 Dunhill ouvrit une nouvelle usine de pipes à côté d'Hardcastleet acheta 49% des parts de la société en 1936. En 1946,Dunhill fit l'acquisition des parts restantes de Hardcastle, mais la création de Parker-Hardcastle Limited n'eut lieu qu'en 1967.

It is evident through the Dunhill factory stamp logs that Parker and Dunhill were closely linked at the factory level through the 1950s, yet it was much more than a few minor flaws that distinguishing the two brands. Most Dunhill "failings" would have been graded out after the bowl turning process exposed unacceptable flaws. This was prior to stoving, curing, carving, bit work and finishing. In others words, very few Parkers would be subjected to the same rigorous processes and care as pipes destined to become Dunhills. Only those that somehow made it to the end finishing process before becoming "failings" enjoy significant Dunhill characteristics, and this likely represents very few Parker pipes.

Estate Parker Select, courtesy, Smokingpipes.com

After the war, and especially after the mid 1950s the differences between Parker and Dunhill became even more evident, and with the merger of Parker with Hardcastle Pipe Ltd, in 1967 the Parker pipe must be considered as an independent product. There is no record of Parker ever being marketed by Dunhill either in it's retail catalog or stores.

Parker was a successful pipe in the US market during the 1930s up through the 1950s, at which point it faded from view in the US, while continuing to be popular in the UK. It was re-introduced into the US market in 1991 and is also sold in Europe.

John Loring states in "The Dunhill Briar Pipe - 'the patent years and after'" that while he has seen several pre-war Parkers and some from the 1950s that appear to be Dunhill "failings" during the finishing process, briar was also obtained from sources other than Dunhill. Loring knows of no way to distinguish the briar source when looking at either Hardcastle, Parker, or Parker-Hardcastle pipes. And that aside from a very few Parkers from the 1950s and before, and a few ODA shapes, we should not expect to find any actual Dunhill production in these lines. While one might be there, it is doubtful we will ever be able to determine it.

Dating

Prior to Word War II, the possessive PARKER'S stamp was used. However, at least some pipes were stamped with the non-possessive as early as 1936.

Like Dunhill, Parker pipes are date stamped, but differently than Dunhill. The Parker date code always followed the MADE IN LONDON over ENGLAND stamping. The first year's pipes (1923) had no date code; from 1924 on it ran consecutively from 1 to 19.

There is no indication of a date code for the war years. Parker was not a government approved pipe manufacturer, while Dunhill and Hardcastle were. During the war years Parker manufactured the "Wunup" pipe made of bakelite and clay.

Thanks to Jason Lynn, we now have photos of the following Parker pipe with a 19 date code, indicating there was perhaps some production of briar pipes during the war years. This pipe appears to have a replacement stem, or perhaps the unusual stem had to do with the war.


From 1945 through 1949 the Parker date code runs from 20 to 24 and from 1950 through 1957 it runs from an underlined and raised 0 to an underlined and raised 7.


A little help here from anyone with date code information beyond 1957 would be most appreciated.

After 1957 on pipes Parker ceased to put patent number and the code with definition of date.



Sources

  • A letter attributed to John Campbell, Alfred Dunhill Pipes Limited, and posted to A.S.P. [1]
  • The Dunhill Briar Pipe, the Patent Years and After, by John C. Loring
  • Rare Smoke, Richard Carleton Hacker

Off Site Links

On Chris' Pipe Pages: 1977 Parker Catalog and a 1977 price list