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Custom-Bilt: Difference between revisions
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In 1946, the name was changed to Custombilt after Mincer began an association with Eugene J. Rich, Inc. There were some big changes in advertising and distribution. The slogan "AS INDIVIDUAL AS A THUMBPRINT" began at this time as well. | In 1946, the name was changed to Custombilt after Mincer began an association with Eugene J. Rich, Inc. There were some big changes in advertising and distribution. The slogan "AS INDIVIDUAL AS A THUMBPRINT" began at this time as well. | ||
In the early 1950’s, Tracy Mincer developed severe financial problems that caused him to stop making the Custombilt, and he lost the name. In 1953, Leonard Rodgers bought the company and emphasized tobacco pouches and butane lighters. (However, it appears Mincer was working on his new pipe, the Doodler.) In 1968, Rodgers sold the Company to Consolidated Cigars. In the early 1970s, Wally Frank Co. bought the Custombilt trademark and began to produce their version of the pipe in 1974 or 1975. Hollco Rohr owned the Weber pipe factory, located in New Jersey, and produced the Custombilt pipes there. In 1987, the pipes were made out of the Butz-Choquin factory (France) and then Mexico until the late 1990s. Currently, the Custombilt name is owned by Tobacalera of Spain. | In the early 1950’s, Tracy Mincer developed severe financial problems that caused him to stop making the Custombilt, and he lost the name. In 1953, Leonard Rodgers bought the company and emphasized tobacco pouches and butane lighters. (However, it appears Mincer was working on his new pipe, the Doodler.) In 1968, Rodgers sold the Company to Consolidated Cigars. In the early 1970s, Wally Frank Co. bought the Custombilt trademark and began to produce their version of the pipe in 1974 or 1975. Hollco Rohr owned the Weber pipe factory, located in New Jersey, and produced the Custombilt pipes there. In 1987, the pipes were made out of the Butz-Choquin factory (France) and then Mexico until the late 1990s. Currently, the Custombilt name is owned by Tobacalera of Spain. | ||
[[File:Custombilt Stamp.jpg|thumb|Stamp with Top of "C" above top of "t"]] | |||
<gallery widths=250px captions="Several pages from Bill's book relevant to the Wally Frank era of Custom-Bilt"> | <gallery widths="250px" captions="Several pages from Bill's book relevant to the Wally Frank era of Custom-Bilt"> | ||
File:CustomBilt Stamp1.jpg|Stamp #1 | File:CustomBilt Stamp1.jpg|Stamp #1 | ||
File:Custombilt Stamp3.jpg|Stmp #3 | File:Custombilt Stamp3.jpg|Stmp #3 | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
<gallery widths=250px heights=400px> | <gallery widths="250px" heights="400px"> | ||
File:Custombilt Stamp5.jpg|Stamp#5 | File:Custombilt Stamp5.jpg|Stamp#5 | ||
File:Custombilt Shapes2.jpg|Shapes | File:Custombilt Shapes2.jpg|Shapes | ||
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Bill also spends a little time debunking Rick Hacker’s version of the Custombilt line. According to Steve Frank, it appears that Carl Weber, the original owner of the Weber factory, never owned the Custombilt name as suggested by Hacker. | Bill also spends a little time debunking Rick Hacker’s version of the Custombilt line. According to Steve Frank, it appears that Carl Weber, the original owner of the Weber factory, never owned the Custombilt name as suggested by Hacker. | ||
<gallery widths=250 heights=250 caption="A 'Stamp #5 example, thought to be the rarest Custom-Bilt, along with box and paperwork, courtesy Brian Robertson collection."> | <gallery widths="250" heights="250" caption="A 'Stamp #5 example, thought to be the rarest Custom-Bilt, along with box and paperwork, courtesy Brian Robertson collection."> | ||
Custom-Bilt-5-1.jpg | Custom-Bilt-5-1.jpg | ||
Custom-Bilt-5-1-4.jpg | Custom-Bilt-5-1-4.jpg | ||
| Line 74: | Line 75: | ||
<gallery widths=300 heights=200 caption="A pair of unsmoked circa 1940s Custom-Bilt Courtleys, courtesy Brian Robertson collection"> | <gallery widths="300" heights="200" caption="A pair of unsmoked circa 1940s Custom-Bilt Courtleys, courtesy Brian Robertson collection"> | ||
Custom-Bilt-Courtleys.jpg | Custom-Bilt-Courtleys.jpg | ||
Custom-Bilt-Courtleys2.jpg | Custom-Bilt-Courtleys2.jpg | ||
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A most interesting discussion in this chapter is the discussion of Hetzer Hartsock’s carved pipes, which included a special ‘Stalin/Roosevelt’ pipe. Hartsock also did carved heads and other figures. Carved head and other such pipes were very popular at the time. One 5 pipe set of Hartsock special carvings was "valued" at $5,000. Also during the Rich era, Custombilt had a carved animal line which were relatively inexpensive at $7.50 as compared to the regular line. There were also special orders available that cost up to $500.00. One wonders what difference could have caused such a radical change in price. | A most interesting discussion in this chapter is the discussion of Hetzer Hartsock’s carved pipes, which included a special ‘Stalin/Roosevelt’ pipe. Hartsock also did carved heads and other figures. Carved head and other such pipes were very popular at the time. One 5 pipe set of Hartsock special carvings was "valued" at $5,000. Also during the Rich era, Custombilt had a carved animal line which were relatively inexpensive at $7.50 as compared to the regular line. There were also special orders available that cost up to $500.00. One wonders what difference could have caused such a radical change in price. | ||
<gallery widths=300px heights=225px caption="Carved Ramshead Custombilt, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | <gallery widths="300px" heights="225px" caption="Carved Ramshead Custombilt, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | ||
File:CBRam01.jpg | File:CBRam01.jpg | ||
File:CBRam09.jpg | File:CBRam09.jpg | ||
| Line 103: | Line 104: | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
<gallery widths=400px heights=300 caption="Carved Custombilts, courtesy Racine & Laramie Tobacconist"> | <gallery widths="400px" heights="300" caption="Carved Custombilts, courtesy Racine & Laramie Tobacconist"> | ||
File:Custombilt Bass.jpg|Bass carving | File:Custombilt Bass.jpg|Bass carving | ||
File:Custombilt Horse.jpg|Horse Carving | File:Custombilt Horse.jpg|Horse Carving | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
<gallery widths=250 heights=185 caption="Examples and details, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | <gallery widths="250" heights="185" caption="Examples and details, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | ||
File:CustBilt01.jpg | File:CustBilt01.jpg | ||
File:CustBilt07.jpg | File:CustBilt07.jpg | ||
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Bill ends the book by writing, "It would be interesting to know how much the various pipe carvers at the various American pipe companies were aware of each other or communicated with each other (in the 1940s and 1950s) when pipe making was a booming industry in the United States." I suspect there was a lot of communication and a lot of sharing (buying) of bowls among the factories. If you look closely at certain stamps on some of the major brands of that day, they are identical. | Bill ends the book by writing, "It would be interesting to know how much the various pipe carvers at the various American pipe companies were aware of each other or communicated with each other (in the 1940s and 1950s) when pipe making was a booming industry in the United States." I suspect there was a lot of communication and a lot of sharing (buying) of bowls among the factories. If you look closely at certain stamps on some of the major brands of that day, they are identical. | ||
<center><gallery widths=200> | <center><gallery widths="200"> | ||
File:Custombilt07.jpg | File:Custombilt07.jpg | ||
File:CustomBilt07a.jpg | File:CustomBilt07a.jpg | ||
| Line 159: | Line 160: | ||
''HOLLCO proudly re-introduces the Custombilt Original with justifiable pride. The Custombilt Original of today is turned from rare blocks of Grecian briar and each exacting detail of yesteryear has been duplicated by our master pipe makers. No two Custombilt Original pipes are carved alike, they are "as individual as a thumbprint." All Custombilt shapes are oversized."'' | ''HOLLCO proudly re-introduces the Custombilt Original with justifiable pride. The Custombilt Original of today is turned from rare blocks of Grecian briar and each exacting detail of yesteryear has been duplicated by our master pipe makers. No two Custombilt Original pipes are carved alike, they are "as individual as a thumbprint." All Custombilt shapes are oversized."'' | ||
<gallery widths=250 heights=185 caption="Custom-bilt ORIGINAL example and detail, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | <gallery widths="250" heights="185" caption="Custom-bilt ORIGINAL example and detail, courtesy Doug Valitchka"> | ||
File:Custombilt01.jpg | File:Custombilt01.jpg | ||
File:Custombilt-0-07.jpg | File:Custombilt-0-07.jpg | ||
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''These reviews originally appeared in The Pipe Collector, the official newsletter of the American Pipe Collectors Society [http://naspc.org (NASPC)] and used by permission. It's a great organization--consider joining.'' | ''These reviews originally appeared in The Pipe Collector, the official newsletter of the American Pipe Collectors Society [http://naspc.org (NASPC)] and used by permission. It's a great organization--consider joining.'' | ||
<gallery widths=250 heights=185 caption="The following Burly Briar, courtesy of Doug Valitchka, appears to be a Custom-Bilt brand or sub-brand"> | <gallery widths="250" heights="185" caption="The following Burly Briar, courtesy of Doug Valitchka, appears to be a Custom-Bilt brand or sub-brand"> | ||
BurlyBriar01.jpg | BurlyBriar01.jpg | ||
BurlyBriar07.jpg | BurlyBriar07.jpg | ||
| Line 218: | Line 219: | ||
The following examples and details will eventually be sorted into early and later version of Custom-Bilt pipes as this articles is refined. | The following examples and details will eventually be sorted into early and later version of Custom-Bilt pipes as this articles is refined. | ||
<center><gallery widths=200 caption="Examples and details, courteys Doug Valitchka"> | <center><gallery widths="200" caption="Examples and details, courteys Doug Valitchka"> | ||
File:Custombilt 10Pot01.jpg | File:Custombilt 10Pot01.jpg | ||
File:Custombilt 10 Pot08.jpg | File:Custombilt 10 Pot08.jpg | ||