Blog by Dal Stanton
This story is about the restoration of perhaps, one of the oldest BBBs in the world today – but it’s much, much more. Every pipe man and woman has discovered this and within that even smaller subgroup of the pipe community, vintage pipe restorers, the experience is perhaps even more heightened. The love of pipes – their former stewards, provenances, shapes, grains, stems and especially their restorations, creates a unique bond and fellowship among those who have experienced the joy of seeing one’s hands bring about a pipe’s restoration. Whether a high-end Dunhill or a common ‘No-Namer’, to bring a crippled pipe back to life brings a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction to those whose skill, hands and purposeful patience have wrought.
So much in our world today divides people of race, religion, politics, and station of life, but my amazement is kindled by how often these barriers are overcome within this community of pipe lovers and restorers. With the internet in full bloom, people in this world-wide community have come together in amazing ways. This happened when Steve Laug (aka: rebornpipes, Vancouver, Canada), Jeff Laug (Steve’s brother – pipe procurer and cleaner, Idaho, USA) and I, (aka: ThePipeSteward, Sofia, Bulgaria) converged in Pune, India, at the invitation of Paresh Deshpande (aka: rebornpipes contributor and the grandson who has become the steward of a treasure trove of pipes left to him by his grandfather).
I began this write-up with a full and thankful heart on the flight from Pune (Poo’-ne) to New Delhi on my return trip to Sofia. Steve and Jeff were able to stay a few extra days and so I said goodbye to them at the flat where our fellowship took shape several days earlier. I also said goodbye to Paresh’s daughters, Mudra (17) and Pavni (11), whose equally opposite personalities and dispositions were a wonderful composite reflection of their parents’ care and love. Mudra impressed us with her elegant sophistication and Pavni, well, she earned the nickname of ‘Bollywood’ – she entertained us and brought much laughter.
Paresh and Abha took me to the airport and I found myself surprisingly reflective and quiet as Paresh navigated the choked Pune streets heading to the airport – cars, scooters and Tuk Tuks (motorized rickshaw taxis) dodged here and there like swallows on wheels in a chaotic purposeful swarm. Only the day before I was helmeted on the back of Paresh’s classic 1980 ROYAL ENFIELD 535 CC motorcycle and videoed with my iPhone while Paresh became one with the swarm! Oh my…. As I sat in the back seat of the car on the way to the airport, Paresh asked me why I wasn’t smiling – that I was serious. It was true that navigating through the Pune Airport’s security was on my mind and wondering if they would remove my prized Savinelli pipe lighter, an unbelievable gift from my landlady, Rozie, in Sofia, left behind by her now departed husband. My concerns about the lighter fortunately, were proven to be unfounded, but I found myself reflecting on the past week under the watchful care and rich hospitality of Paresh and Abha. How do I describe it? How do I tell this story to capture not only the unbelievable pipe our special cohort restored together, but the bond that we discovered along the way?
I think I can safely speak for Steve and Jeff in saying that the hospitality we experienced from our Indian hosts was none like we had experienced before. For the most part, we started as acquaintances but through the week experienced a deeper bond that is more reminiscent of a family. Steve and I have known each other for some time because of our work with women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited (Servants Anonymous Foundation and Daughters of Bulgaria), but through the internet was how our pipe lore fellowship was formed and based upon this, Paresh invited us to come to Pune coinciding with Steve’s trip to nearby Nepal in concert with his work. When I heard of this ‘Fellowship of the Pipe’ developing, I couldn’t bear to be left out, especially after hearing that Steve’s brother, Jeff, whom I had never met, was also coming. Steve had traveled to this part of the world several times. I had traveled to Cambodia previously, but never to India. Jeff, also, was experiencing his first trip to this area of the world. So, from Vancouver (via Nepal), from Sofia and from Idaho Falls, the ‘West’ converged in the ‘East’ in India, for the first convocation of this Pipe Fellowship.
This ‘Fellowship’ also included others that were unable to respond to Paresh’s invitations to come. Several months ago, Paresh formed a FaceBook Messenger group of pipe restorers that included the four of us but also Mark Domingues (aka: LoneStarBriarWorks Texas, USA) and Victor Naddeo (aka: Naddeo Pipes, Belo Horizonte, Brazil). This group, as you might guess, was the online ‘Pipe Man Cave’ where pipes, nomenclatures, techniques were discussed, and questions entertained – of course, Steve is recognized as the undisputed pipe sage and guru of this diverse and eclectic group of pipe men. The weeks before the convocation in Pune, this group was actively involved in shaping the convocation. It was in the FaceBook group that Paresh proposed what became the anchor activity of our time in Pune – the restoration of one of the oldest and most precious of Paresh’s trove of pipes he inherited from his grandfather, whose collection could possibly rival any personal collection in the world. Steve and Paresh told the story of Paresh’s grandfather in Steve’s earlier restorations of some of these pipes on rebornpipes (see: Paresh’s Grandfather’s Pipe #7 – Charatan’s Make De Luxe 140 Billiard). Paresh had so many of his grandfather’s pipes, that Steve (as he has done with many of us!) began to encourage (coerce 😊) Paresh to start dabbling in restoration. Paresh didn’t dabble long and has become an excellent restorer and contributor to rebornpipes. As Jeff does for Steve, Abha cleans many of the pipes that Paresh restores.
One of the highlights of our time in Pune was going through Paresh’s entire collection of pipes – from his grandfather as well as his own additions. During the hot(!) part of the Indian day, Paresh unwrapped each pipe to show and to pass around. To hold and examine these pipes was a treat. If this were not enough, we (Dal, Steve and Paresh – Jeff’s not a smoker just a collector and journeyman cleaner!) also smoked 3 very special pipes from Paresh’s grandfather that Paresh had restored – classic pipes with albatross bone shank extensions and horn stems. At the beginning of the convocation, we decided we would smoke these pipes together in celebration of the completion of our communal restoration project.
On the Fellowship Facebook group, Paresh proposed restoring one of his grandfather’s pipes together. His idea was that we would do the restoration as a group, but that we would each share that part of the restoration that focused on strengths of each: Jeff and Abha, (cleaning), Pavni (sanding the chamber), Steve (main restoration work), Dal (final buffing and polishing with the Dremel), and Paresh would be the project manager! Paresh also appointed me as the scribe – the one who would do the write-up and take pictures of the restoration because of my ability to spin a good tale! After the 1846 BBB was chosen to be our restoration project, this was the discussion on the Fellowship FB Group that revealed Paresh’s deeper hope of what would result from the group restoration:
Paresh: Steve Sir, what say about working this pipe…
Mark: You can handle it Paresh! It’s no different than a Dr. Grabow!
Paresh: More than the value of the pipe, it’s worth its weight in gold working together with Steve Sir and Dal Sir on this oldest heirloom piece that I desire. And not to mention Jeff Sir and Abha doing the initial cleaning…lol
Steve: Sounds like an interesting proposal Paresh… I am game. But I also know that you can handle it
Paresh: Thank you Sir. I appreciate your confidence in my abilities. But just think, you shall be meeting up with Mudra and Pavni, my daughters. They would see all of us working together on this very very old pipe. We shall be handing over these memories to them. Kids will always associate this pipe as THE ONE which belonged to their Great Grandfather and was worked on by their father and his friends from across the oceans…. wow wouldn’t that be great.
Paresh: So that’s decided. 1846 made BBB project postponed to 03 May 19 and now back to square one! Which pipe should I work next? Fresh suggestions requested please.
When I discovered I was to be the writer of this grand project before coming to Pune, Paresh sent pictures of the 1846 BBB. Here are the pictures of the BBB Bent Billiard with its classic amber stem.
The nomenclature is stamped on the left flank of the shank with the classic stacked BBB ensconced in the diamond. The diamond is centered above ‘OWN MAKE’. The silver ferule repeats the BBB diamond stamp over hallmarks providing information on the provenance which will be unpacked below.
With a pipe dated so early, it qualifies as one of the first pipes produced by BBB. I look to Pipedia’s article on BBB to set the stage for understanding the origins:
BBB
The initials once stood for Blumfeld’s Best Briars after Louis Blumfeld, who took over the management of the Adolph Frankau Company in 1856. After his death, the BBB gradually became known as Britain’s Best Briars. Soon to be the oldest English trademark in current use and the first pipe ever to have a registered trademark. “Britain’s Best Briars”, often called BBB, is one of the oldest brands still in production and has always been the most popular foreign brand in Denmark. Earlier pipes included a metal rondel with a diamond shape including BBB embedded in the stem top, and later post-Cadogan went to a stamped-on logo, similar to the GBD pipes.
Dating and History:
I have been doing some digging into BBB pipes for some we have for VPC auctions and I found an article online in French. Here is a Babelfish translation of a history of BBB from http://www.fumeursdepipe.net/artbbb.htm
Genesis and history of the company. Adolph Frankau & Co Ltd In 1847, Adolph Frankau arrived in London and quickly understood opportunities that the market of tobacco presented, in full expansion. He created the company “Adolph Frankau & Co” and became an importer of meerschaum pipes and supplies in connection with the tobacco. It takes under its wing young a 14 year old boy, Louis Blumfeld. The business thrives quickly until the death of Adolph Frankau in 1856. His widow prepares to sell the company.
The dating we’ve placed on the BBB is 1846. The formation of the Adolph Fankau & Co. Ltd is said to be 1847 in London from the article above. The seemingly contradictory information creates part of the mystery uncovered in the research – the origins of BBB and a pipe apparently dated before it began! Fortunately for me, the Pipe Man Facebook Group tackled the research for me. With only slight editing, here is the ‘research wing’ dialog in toto. I repeat the dialog because it captures the thrill of discovery of a treasure and the process leading to it:

Paresh: From my grandfather’s collection…. unable to decide my next project. Please suggest…… It’s nice to be spoilt for choice.

Jeff


Steve: Here’s my vote… marked with the check .
Paresh: BBB it is then….. thank you.
Paresh: The BBC….. just for the record you all have chosen the dirtiest one for me to work on. Other three pipes….. Abha, my wife, had done the initial cleaning……Lol. It’s BBB and not BBC….. you have chosen wisely as in Indiana Jones and the Last crusade!!!!

Victor: Oh man! I love BBB’s, it’s my favorite brand ever!
Paresh: Where have you been my friend?
Victor: This pipe looks to me like Pamela Anderson ….[edited by scribe 😊]…. with a suitcase full of dollars and a bottle of champagne. I’ve been working hard this days my friend, and my head was a little bit away from the pipes
Paresh: And me….. [edited by scribe]…. it happens….
Victor: Hahahaha I’ve 12 BBB’s in my collection
Paresh: On this selection, there was a unanimous vote from all parts of the world…….and the bigwigs wonder how to bring the world together……………….. It’s this simple.
Victor: i just LOVE all of them.
Paresh: All vintage?
Victor: yeah!
Paresh: I need to check how many I have. Never bought one BBB, except for one commissioned from ThePipeSteward….. All my BBB are my grandfather’s.
MAR 15, 2019, 2:02 AM
Steve: Victor and I share a love of BBB pipes…one of my favourite brands
Paresh: I haven’t been able to identify my favourite brand!! My present rotation includes Farida’ s dad’s Dunhill, GBD International, BIJOU, Hilson Viva and two Somersets.
MAR 15, 2019, 5:53 PM
Paresh: Found this stamp on 1858 BBB Meer….. exact same stamp on my BBB but letter D. This makes it from 1852. Did they make Briar pipes then?

Need help in dating this pipe based on hallmarks….
MAR 15, 2019, 7:08 PM
Victor: I need a close picture of the hallmarks and I could say precisely the year
Paresh: I shall try. But as I said earlier, the only difference between the meer stampings above and mine is letter capital D…
Victor: Oh, I thought you said the meer had the letter D – ok! But i must say the frame around the letter influences too
Paresh: Hallmark stampings are slightly worn out. Understood. I wish I had an iPhone…..
Steve: Anchor is Birmingham, lion is the mark for 925 silver,
Victor: Yes, exactly. And L&B the silversmith. If your pipe has the exactly same square frame around the D as this meerschaum, You have a 1852 pipe in your hands. And i must say this is probably the oldest briar pipe i ever seen.
Paresh: Does this help?
Victor

Could L-B stand for Louis Blumfield?
Victor:

This

Or this
Paresh: More like the upper one but more decorative but less than the second…..
Victor: Maybe like the third one?
This is the oldest briar pipe i ever had Its 1873 Samuel McLardy
Paresh: Neither the third. Look for the J letter in 1858 and in same chart look for D. More or less same. 80% match….
Victor: I must admit I’m little envious about you BBB hahaha. What a lucky guy you are! Hahahaha
Paresh: Mclardy letter not clear…..
Victor: The first one is the D from the same chart of this J
Paresh: The different is “moustache” like shape at the junction……..on my pipe. Where the vertical line of D meets the horizontal line towards the right….
Victor: Looking close to your picture. I don’t think it’s a D
Paresh: Could you please enlarge the last pic that I sent you, Victor?
Victor:

I think it’s an “r”
Paresh: Wow…..that’s….. Let me check again.
Victor: And if is this one it’s a 1846 pipe
Paresh: You may be right Victor, it could be an ‘r’
What do you think? Enlarge the picture please.
Steve: I think it is an r as well
Paresh: Steve Sir, what does the letter appear to you?

Mark: Lower case R
Steve: Lower case r
Victor: Now I’m sure. It’s an 1846 pipe. Congratulation
Mark: So what year is that?
Victor: !!
Mark: No way!
Victor: Yes it is sir!

Mark: When did they start?!?
Victor: Actually its a lower case x – Hahahhaa
Mark: BBB?
Paresh: Okay. That settles it. So let me check again if it’s a repair band…… hearts thumping like nuts…
Victor: BBB it’s one of the oldest factories in England – Wait, Pipedia says it was founded in 1847 But they could be wrong. I’ve seen this kind of mistake before in pipedia
Steve: Remember silver hallmarks date the silver…
Mark: Amber stem?
Paresh: NO REPAIR BAND…… summary of all discussions?
Agreed, hallmarks date silver. But the other stampings on the silver, like BBB and L- B?
Mark: Louis Blumfield? Amber stem, it must be old!
Paresh: As asked before, could LB stand for Louis Blumfield?
Mark: Maybe that’s one of the first after Frankau’s death in 1846? Sorry, 1856
Paresh: So am I holding a BBB which dates back to 1846? Remember, Louis Blumfeld joined him much earlier than 1856 before his demise.
Victor: Man
Steve: Man…
Victor: This is probably one of the first Frankau era pipes ever made!
Paresh: Concrete summary requested please, before I hit the Bar!!!
Victor: Maybe the silver was made in the end of the ear of 1846, few months before the factory made the pipe.
Year* Concrete summary?
Steve: That was my thinking Victor
Victor: You’re a [edited by scribe 😊] lucky bastard! Vavavavava Hahahahaha*
Paresh: Yes!!! Drinks are on me gentlemen….
Victor: Congratulations. Probably the oldest BBB in the whole world.
Steve: Congrats
Paresh: Good that I sought your advice on selection of the pipe to work on. My what a thrilling experience this was. Thanks again gents. Dal Stanton has missed this frenzy…
Paresh: Victor, you started this……
Steve Sir, would you like to work this pipe with me when you reach? This will be an epic project together or you want me to proceed ahead? It will be a significant project.
Victor: W8, Steve is going to India? (You live in India, right?)
Paresh: Yes Sir. Even Dal Stanton will be with us.
Victor: I wanna go too! Hahahaha
Paresh: Really?
Victor: I’m just kidding, I can’t afford a trip like this
Paresh: Okay. U will not be spending a dime here.
Steve Sir, what say about working this pipe…?
Mark: You can handle it Paresh!
It’s no different than a Dr. Grabow!
Paresh: More than the value of the pipe, it’s worth its weight in gold working together with Steve Sir and Dal Sir on this oldest heirloom piece that I desire. And not to mention Jeff Sir and Abha doing the initial cleaning…lol
Steve: Sounds like an interesting proposal Paresh… I am game. But I also know that you can handle it
I did miss the frenzy of the discovery of the dating of this BBB treasure Paresh inherited from his grandfather, but I experienced the thrill of having a part in its restoration – and what a restoration it was! One of the fun parts and challenges was to use only the tools available to Paresh in India. Each restorer is used to his own tools and techniques. The restoration of the 1846 also became a time of sharing and seeing how each of us approached the different phases of the restoration.
The day we determined would be THE day for THE restoration arrived. We three are in the flat that Paresh had provided for us during our stay. On this day set for THE restoration, we were up early before Paresh arrived from his home. After our tea and coffee, we were ready to go and decided to start on the cleaning phase to get a jump on things. Here we go! Jeff and Steve set up camp to begin the cleaning phase laying out the tools of the trade – no Savinelli Fitsall Tool this time around!
The BBB had very thick cake and lava flow over the rim – very characteristic of Paresh’s grandfather’s other pipes where the practice seemed to be smoke, never clean and toss in the box when they were unsmokable and buy another!
Steve started with reaming the chamber. Starting with the reaming blade heads he reams with the smallest blade and then works to the next larger.
He uses two of the four blades available and then switches to the long pen knives available in Paresh’s arsenal and continues clearing the thick cake.
After scraping the chamber walls with the pen knives, he follows by using ‘230’ grade paper (I can’t remember what the grading was in India – it could have been 220 to 240, mid-range) to clean the walls of the carbon further and wipes the chamber with paper towel.
After wiping, Steve evaluates the condition of the chamber and the 173-year-old chamber is in good shape from what we can see at this point.
Switching now to the rim, Steve carefully employs the sanding paper over the rim to begin removing the thick lava flow.
Continuing on the rim, next he uses a flat blade and pen knife and continues carefully scraping the rim.
Using a spatula tool, he switches attention to the mortise and scrapes out the old oils and grime buildup.
With the lava excavated from the rim, Steve identifies what looks like a hairline crack running over the rim.
The crack isn’t easy to see. It runs across the rim and over and down the stummel a bit.
Steve continues smoothing the rim using 230 grade paper in order to get a better look at the rim’s condition.
The crack is now more clearly seen.
We paused when Paresh and Pavni arrived and I got more practice perfecting my selfie technique. Pavni enjoys helping her father in his restoration adventures. Her specialty in the restoration process, which has become a unique trademark in Paresh’s restorations, is sanding the chambers to a smooth perfection.
As the project manager, Paresh receives an update on the progress on the 1846 BBB which includes the news about discovering of the crack after the rim cleaning.
After conferring with the master restorer, the decision is made to take the 1846 to the topping board. In this case, a piece of 230 paper on the flat, glass table serves well as Paresh begins the topping process. The debate using the topping board is always weighing the loss of briar verses the needed corrections in the restoration process. The rim needs refreshing and redefinition, and the hope is that some topping will improve the situation with the crack.
The first revolutions show the progress and revealing more distinctly the rim crack.
After another few revolutions on the topping board, it is time for a conference and Steve again takes the stummel to the topping board.
Paresh harvests the briar dust off the sanding paper, which appears to be a 150 grade from this view. Under Pavni’s watchful eye, Steve takes the stummel a few more rotations and we arrive at a satisfactory point.
From the picture above, the inner rim edge is rough and uneven. There is also a dark scorched ring remaining around the inner perimeter. Paresh goes to work cleaning the inner rim edge with a roll of sanding paper. We’re hoping that the sanding will take care of the minor hairline crack.
Across the table, Jeff takes a close look at the amber stem with the Henry Hughs Son LTD London magnifying glass. The night before we were all squinting looking at the nomenclatures of many pipes and this morning Paresh remembered to bring this classic lens! Looking at the 1846 BBB through this antique lens seemed only right!
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