Blog by Steve Laug
Back in 2002 my wife and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary and were gifted a trip to the United Kingdom. We traveled from Gatwick to Cambridge, York, up into Edinburgh, Oxford, Bath and then London. In each spot we stopped along the way to visit tobacco shops. I was pretty sure that many would disappear over the years and I was not sure when we would get back for another visit. One of my favourite shops was the Frederick Tranter shop in Bath. It was not a big shop but it was packed with pipes and tobacco. It smelled and looked like a proper tobacco shop.
I decided that I would buy a new pipe from the shop to commemorate our anniversary and the trip. I picked out a little bulldog with a coral like rustication. It is stamped Fredk Tranter over Pipe Shop Bath over Centurion and also shape #28. I purchased some Cigarummer from the shop to smoke while I was there. It is a nice blend of Cavendish, Dark Virginia spiced with Cigar leaf and laced with Jamaica Rum. I went outdoors and sat down and smoked a bowl of the tobacco in my new pipe. That was the beginning of a new relationship with this pipe. I smoked the rest of the Cigarummer throughout the trip and when I returned home. The pipe delivered a good smoke that was made better with the memory of having picked it out personally from the shop.
The interesting thing that I found when I bought the pipe was that it came with a printed guarantee that was folded and placed in the envelope that is pictured above. I have photographed that guarantee and included it below. The front side of the sheet contains a list of the various fine Tobaccos blended and sold exclusively by Frederick Tranter shops in Bath, Oxford and Cambridge.
On the other side of the sheet are a few notes “…intended to assist you to obtain the maximum pleasure and long service from your new pipe and are drawn from the personal pipe smoking experience and accumulated trade knowledge of successive generations of Guild Tradesmen.” With those words the page goes on to describe how to Break in a new pipe, Special care for block meerschaum and meerschaum lined pipes, Common Faults in Smoking and finally the Conditions of Guarantee.
The Common Faults listed are unique to this document as I have not seen them listed in this way elsewhere. They are as follows:
Burning
Cracking
Cleaning
I love the words of the Guarantee so I quote them here:
“Smokers must bear in mind that briar root is wood, and of its very nature combustible and cannot be absolutely guaranteed against burning. Our guarantee covers the bowl only of pipes for ninety days against faulty materials or workmanship also against cracking or burning – always provided reasonable care has been taken. This guarantee covers only one replacement and does not cover bowls burst by over carbonizing, bowls worn thin by constant scraping, or pipes which split or snap at the junction of bowl and stem. Such breakages are usually due to accidental damage.
WARNING. The most vulnerable part of a pipe is the spigot (or ‘peg’) joining bowl and stem. Always take care when separating: never attempt to separate them while the pipe is hot, and never ‘knock’ a pipe out – be patient and enjoy it, it could save you a repair!
This guarantee is offered in addition to the Consumer’s Statutory Rights, which it in no way affects.”
The words of instruction are even present in the guarantee. The almost tongue in cheek choice of words is well done and quite clear as to the limitations of the guarantee. The page ends with the name of the pipe, who sold it and the date of the sale – in this case 5 May 2002.
I continue to enjoy the pipe and it delivers a good smoke. It is well broken in and it is now dedicated to Virginia flakes. It is a good smoking flake pipe. I have not had to exercise the guarantee as the pipe is as good as new – only broken in and having a bit of tooth chatter. One day if I get back to Bath I will take the pipe with me and for old time sake pick up some more of the Cigarummer blend to run through it. If you are ever visiting in Bath why not stop by and visit the shop. Who knows, you might just find a pipe for the rack.
rebornpipes 
Pingback: Restoring a Frederick Tranter Pipe Shop Bath Countryman Lovat | rebornpipes
Jacek, I heard back from the shop in Bath. Their pipes were made by Cadogan. That is as far as they were able to identify the makers. I checked the Comoy’s numbers and the GBD ones and they do not match.
LikeLike
Steve, that was really prompt answer, it is so kind of them. But it still leaves fairly wide field for guessing: who was real maker or even: was the pipe carved in the British Isles, in France, or elsewhere. Unfortunately it seems to be impossible.
I remember that (quoting from Pipedia)…the Cadogan group was a superordinated holding company, in order to tune all activities of Oppenheimer’s brands in the pipe industry. Whereby an extensive independence of the single brands was preserved. Remember, the Oppenheimers and Adlers weren’t pipe specialists, but rather sales people who depended on their experts in the British and French plants…I may imagine situation, in which our tobacconist would design the pipe by himself and just let the chosen factory/workshop belonging to the Cadogan group to conduct manufacturing according to design created by the Fred Trantner.
LikeLike
That is the same conclusion I have come to from previous research on the Cadogan Group.
LikeLike
– and this may be a kind of contribution to awareness, how, because of business matters, the “pipe scene” changed (not for better) in +- ’60. We remember what happened to quality of Ben Wade, Barling, Loewe, CIVIC, plenty of others. We know similar processes in the field of once to be so good pipe tobaccos…today’s Scandinavian Tobacco Group…remaining “Dunhill” blends manufactured by Altadis, or in Germany…
LikeLike
I thought this had the look of a Blakemar pipe at first, but checking their site Mike Billington has the 2 grooves cut around the bowl on his current model. http://www.blakemar.co.uk/product/ac-rhodesian/
LikeLike
That is a great memory Steve, and a wonderful pipe. I googled the shop and it looks like they are indeed still in business. I need to take a trip to England before these shops do close!
LikeLike
Thanks Al. I just inserted a photo of the shop. Kind of deceptive actually. It looks tiny but when you enter the door you go down below the street level and it is significantly larger than the storefront.
LikeLike
Also visited the Oxford and Cambridge shops. They were quite different in comparison.
LikeLike
Fred Trantner…many good memories. I had some Fred Trantner pipes, and other Fred Trantner’s were coming through my hands at times when I was doing conservation. Congratulations, Dear Steve !
Did you try to find out who was maker of your Fred Trantner pipe ? Fred Trantner is once to be famous tobacconist shop or chain of shops and like some other tobacconists they were offering pipes marked by their name/logo made on order by other makers, sometime of high reputation like Dunhill and other makers of this rank. Such tobacconists are/were: famous Owl in the USA, and Astley’s in London. In case of Astley’s: present owner – Mordechai “Moty” Ezrati serves with precise information on each particular Astley’s who was the maker; my own Astley’s was made by Dunhill what I have “on paper”/email from mr. Ezrati. Other Astley’s were made by James Upshall or other makers. In case of The Owl I still have an old letter from pipe smoker from Oregon, where he says…I have talked in the past to the elderly George Photakis about the other makers they had their pipes private labeled Owl Shop by and he never mentioned Dunhill( but I didn’t ask)
He did indicate that many of the Owl Club briars were made for them by Wally Frank and a few by Savinelli of Italy. Those Owl Club pipes were offered for the members of their Owl Club…
Using modern language: outsourcing is as old as the history of pipes; sometime it brings surprises. First Dunhills were made by Charatan, many famous Viennese pipes from 18xx were sent to the British Isles to be mounted in silver. Due to “blessing” of the British hallmarking system they re easy to date with accuracy up to one year.
LikeLike
Thanks Jacek. Now I am going to go and see what I can find about the stamping on the pipe. I will see how it compares to other shape charts. Good to know about this.
LikeLike
In case of Astley’s that I know, stampings are identical regardless who is the maker. In order to find information/establish identity of certain pipe it seems to be necessary to contact by mail the owner of Astley’s (mr. Ezrati). I can not exclude that it is so in case of Fred Trantner pipes. Good luck !
LikeLike
Thanks. I just emailed the shop with the question. We shall see what comes up.
Your comment on Astley’s makes me want to go back now and check on the two Astley pipes that I have here – both pot shapes that I restemmed.
LikeLike
Just a couple of days ago one of my pipe friends emailed mr. Ezrati in order to find out who was the maker of his Astley’s pot shaped pipe. According to kind response from. mr. Ezrati, that Astley’s was made by James Upshall. The simple way of contacting mr. Ezrati may be via his EBay “shop” – http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/merchant/jamesupshallpipeco_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZ
LikeLike