This is another pipe from my recently auction lot purchase. The shape and size of this Rhodesian is, at least for me, very appealing, though it may be a tad heavy for those that like to clench the pipe in their teeth. It is marked “Treaty Bond” over “Made in France” on the left shank, and, faintly, “Imported Briar” over “409” on the right shank.

The pipe arrived on my work table like all the others from this lot – dirty! It had obviously been smoked a lot, as the bowl was clogged up with a heavy cake. In fact, the airway at the bottom of the bowl was completely caked over. The rim also had a layer of tars. The outside of the bowl was grimy and had two large spots where factory fills had fallen out. I also found a small crack on the bottom of the outside…