Gorgeous RAINER BARBI " AB " Grade Blowfish Estate Pipe W/ Perfect Crosscut Grain
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:4336859 | Body Shape: Blowfish |
| Modified Item: No | Brand: RAINER BARBI |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany |
RAINER BARBIABHandarbeit
You are bidding on a superlative estate find from a legendary German artisan RAINER BARBI. As for the maker, Mr Barbi hardly needs an introduction to anyone who knows the history of continental pipe making. First among his peers, his works today are exceedingly rare. This owes as much to Mr Barbi's untimely passing, as to his meticulously slow production, and the sheer quality of his pipes. This stunning blowfish shape bears all the tell tale lines of ...his art. The perfectly executed edges follow the cross-cut grain with seamless precision. On both flanks of the bowl, this tight symmetry bursts into birdseye. One often hears of the finest artisans merely following a shape already dormant in the burl. This blowfish embodies this sentiment. Mr Barbi was deservedly famous for this bit work and one needs only to glance at the beautifully flowing saddle stem mouthpiece to see the reason. The lip is thinned to perfection. The heel of the saddle is flat, with the flanks rising to a round top, further emphasizing the individual character of the pipe. The grade is "AB", which puts it in the higher echelons of his hierarchy. If my reading is correct, the date stamp "MB" is for 1998, making this a later Barbi piece, carved at the very height of his powers. The condition is excellent throughout. The briar is wonderfully smooth and unfaded. The chamber appears to have been carefully tended with no charring or webbing I can detect. There is thin evenly formed cake that is ready to light from the get-go. No darkening on the rim to speak of. The stem, which also accepts a 9mm filter option for those who prefer that, has no tooth marks. While the stem logo appears buffed, the finesse of the lip leaves no doubt that this is a handcut Barbi original. A truly wonderful find!
Measurements(approx.)Length: 14.4cm/ 5.7inHeight: 6.5cm/ 2.5inWidth: 4.5cm/ 1.8inChamber: 2.0cm/ 0.8inWeigth: 67gr/ 2.3oz
Stamping: R.BarbiHandarbeitABMB
International orders welcome!* * I am happy to ship to most places in the world, provided that the buyer agrees to pay for REGISTERED and INSURED postage. All customs duties and taxes will likewise be buyers responsibility. I cannot be held responsible for delays in transit caused by foreign postal services or customs. If the above sounds agreeable, you are warmly welcomed to join the bids. Please be sure to contact me prior to bidding for an exact shipping quote. I only charge fair postage but recent USPS price hikes may come as a surprise to some.Within the US, I ship insured First Class Mail unless requested otherwise by the buyer. Please contact me with any shipping requests prior to bidding.Disclaimer on datingPlease note that all dating is merely approximate. In determining the age of each pipe listed, rely on my own knowledge from years of collecting and the information available in the public domain. For better or for worse, there remains a lot of guesswork in our hobby, particularly in the absence of concrete evidence like hallmarks. Buyers are strongly advised to do their own research before bidding. I am not able to accept returns or refunds on later pretensions on the subject, unless I have failed to adequately represent the stampings or hallmarks. If in doubt, please feel free to ask for additional photos or descriptions. Restoration processAll estate pipes sold through my auctions will have passed through a process of careful inspection and loving restoration by me personally. Since most pipes I choose to list have significant historical value - in addition to being excellent smokers - my philosophy of restoration is always to preserve as much of their original beauty and character as possible. In other words, do no harm. The stems you see in my photos might not be quite as glittery as some others, but you can rest assured that I have not altered the shape of the vulcanite, flattened the button, or buffed away precious stamping. I would rather have a small tooth indentation on the mouthpiece of my 1932 Dunhill Root, than have a rounded bit or a worn down dot. A few scratches on the rim of a 1920s Loewe are not laziness on my part - it would be fairly easy to sand them out and hide the deed in new stain. No, I keep them because they tell a story in briar of the former lives of the pipe and its owners. I hope my buyers will share these values and find as much enjoyment in the art of pipes as I do.I have years of experience restoring, collecting, and selling estate pipes on eBay. I have 100% positive feedback from my business and take that commitment very seriously. Please feel free contact me with any questions or critiques. I am confident we can find a solution to any and all issues!
Please be sure to check out my other auctions for rare estate pipes and tobacciana! Add me to your favorites to get first dibs on my weekly updates. I specialize in mid and high-end estates in the British, Danish, and Russian tradition (with occasional rarities from other schools in the mix)!
Thank you for looking and best of luck bidding!
You are bidding on a superlative estate find from a legendary German artisan RAINER BARBI. As for the maker, Mr Barbi hardly needs an introduction to anyone who knows the history of continental pipe making. First among his peers, his works today are exceedingly rare. This owes as much to Mr Barbi's untimely passing, as to his meticulously slow production, and the sheer quality of his pipes. This stunning blowfish shape bears all the tell tale lines of ...his art. The perfectly executed edges follow the cross-cut grain with seamless precision. On both flanks of the bowl, this tight symmetry bursts into birdseye. One often hears of the finest artisans merely following a shape already dormant in the burl. This blowfish embodies this sentiment. Mr Barbi was deservedly famous for this bit work and one needs only to glance at the beautifully flowing saddle stem mouthpiece to see the reason. The lip is thinned to perfection. The heel of the saddle is flat, with the flanks rising to a round top, further emphasizing the individual character of the pipe. The grade is "AB", which puts it in the higher echelons of his hierarchy. If my reading is correct, the date stamp "MB" is for 1998, making this a later Barbi piece, carved at the very height of his powers. The condition is excellent throughout. The briar is wonderfully smooth and unfaded. The chamber appears to have been carefully tended with no charring or webbing I can detect. There is thin evenly formed cake that is ready to light from the get-go. No darkening on the rim to speak of. The stem, which also accepts a 9mm filter option for those who prefer that, has no tooth marks. While the stem logo appears buffed, the finesse of the lip leaves no doubt that this is a handcut Barbi original. A truly wonderful find!
Measurements(approx.)Length: 14.4cm/ 5.7inHeight: 6.5cm/ 2.5inWidth: 4.5cm/ 1.8inChamber: 2.0cm/ 0.8inWeigth: 67gr/ 2.3oz
Stamping: R.BarbiHandarbeitABMB
International orders welcome!* * I am happy to ship to most places in the world, provided that the buyer agrees to pay for REGISTERED and INSURED postage. All customs duties and taxes will likewise be buyers responsibility. I cannot be held responsible for delays in transit caused by foreign postal services or customs. If the above sounds agreeable, you are warmly welcomed to join the bids. Please be sure to contact me prior to bidding for an exact shipping quote. I only charge fair postage but recent USPS price hikes may come as a surprise to some.Within the US, I ship insured First Class Mail unless requested otherwise by the buyer. Please contact me with any shipping requests prior to bidding.Disclaimer on datingPlease note that all dating is merely approximate. In determining the age of each pipe listed, rely on my own knowledge from years of collecting and the information available in the public domain. For better or for worse, there remains a lot of guesswork in our hobby, particularly in the absence of concrete evidence like hallmarks. Buyers are strongly advised to do their own research before bidding. I am not able to accept returns or refunds on later pretensions on the subject, unless I have failed to adequately represent the stampings or hallmarks. If in doubt, please feel free to ask for additional photos or descriptions. Restoration processAll estate pipes sold through my auctions will have passed through a process of careful inspection and loving restoration by me personally. Since most pipes I choose to list have significant historical value - in addition to being excellent smokers - my philosophy of restoration is always to preserve as much of their original beauty and character as possible. In other words, do no harm. The stems you see in my photos might not be quite as glittery as some others, but you can rest assured that I have not altered the shape of the vulcanite, flattened the button, or buffed away precious stamping. I would rather have a small tooth indentation on the mouthpiece of my 1932 Dunhill Root, than have a rounded bit or a worn down dot. A few scratches on the rim of a 1920s Loewe are not laziness on my part - it would be fairly easy to sand them out and hide the deed in new stain. No, I keep them because they tell a story in briar of the former lives of the pipe and its owners. I hope my buyers will share these values and find as much enjoyment in the art of pipes as I do.I have years of experience restoring, collecting, and selling estate pipes on eBay. I have 100% positive feedback from my business and take that commitment very seriously. Please feel free contact me with any questions or critiques. I am confident we can find a solution to any and all issues!
Please be sure to check out my other auctions for rare estate pipes and tobacciana! Add me to your favorites to get first dibs on my weekly updates. I specialize in mid and high-end estates in the British, Danish, and Russian tradition (with occasional rarities from other schools in the mix)!
Thank you for looking and best of luck bidding!
