I came across this brief article by Les online a few years ago and have found it very helpful in narrowing down the dates for the Barling pipes that come across in my ongoing hunt for estate pipes. I wrote to Les through EBay and asked his permission to reprint the article here on rebornpipes. He graciously replied as noted below. Thank you, Les.

… if you get a comment by collector Tad Gage, his judgment is better than mine since I learned much of what I know from him as well as others. Most of this info I deduced over time by close observation of the nomenclature I found on my own pipes but also from pics I saw on ebay pieces that were listed for sale… Note – Barling nomenclature has never been an exact science and this info should be considered as a guideline rather than a mandate. Even the book done by the late John Loring about Dunhill nomenclature is not perfect since exceptions have been found in those pipes as well.

Good luck and let me know how things turn out. I have it in mind to print a small paper on the subject at some point in the future and give it away at shows. – Les Sechler

The following is a visual reference guide that allows the reader to identify the various eras of Barling nomenclature. Please note that some exceptions will occur since not every pipe had stampings that are completely in conformation to the norm.

Older Pre-transition nomenclature, probably 1900 or after. Date can be determined by silver hallmarks.

Late 40’s – 1962 Typical Pre-Transition nomenclature

Used only for the Guinea Grain US distributed pipes

Typical Pre Transition nomenclature, M in Make is under the R. Shape number is three digits or four digits beginning with a 1 (for UK distributed pipes).

Barling Early Transition Example: Ye Olde Wood remains but shape number is now four digits not beginning with a 1. First digit indicates size of pipe with 6 being “very large” and 7 being the largest. Pipes marked this way are thought to be late 1962 or 63’.

Next version of early Transition Nomenclature: Ye Olde Wood is gone and shape number is four digits not beginning with a 1. First number of shape indicates size. Notice that the M in Make is now under the A.

Typical Transition Barling Nomenclature, Barling is now in script.

Non Conforming Examples of Barling Nomenclature
Probably a fake stamp

Note Ye Olde Wood is present, with spaces between the words, but Barling is in script and London England. This is an error stamp probably done by factory worker not paying enough attention, or a stamp that was not used for very long. This is the only example of this stamp I have ever seen.

The word London exists on a few examples only. This is a rare stamp that was used for a brief period, probably just before the company sold in 1962 or just after.