RARE LOEWE L&Co Haymarket Era Silver Spigot Estate Pipe Hallmarked 1918

LOEWEL&Co1918
You are bidding on a rare LOEWE L&Co estate pipe from 1918! Being a collector, one comes across outlandishly beautiful or uncommon pieces quite often. But every once in a blue moon, a pipe stands in front of you, forcing you to pinch yourself. As a former Loewe collector, this silver adorned beauty was such a piece. Dating old Loewes with much accuracy is notoriously difficult. Unlike their arch rivals at the time, Loewe never date stamped their bowls (Dunhill)... or changed their nomenclature by the decade (Charatan). The only way to be certain is through silver hallmarks, regulated by the Assay Office in London. No wonder, then, that such mounted pipes are rarest to come by among collectors. This early Loewe predates all briar stamps save for the iconic L&Co. In addition to date and place marks, both sides of spigot also bear L&Co markings, as well as RD, referring to their master silversmith at the time. The shaping is beautiful, with clean assertive lines of the quintessentially British billiard, further emphasized by the sharp end of the spigot. Unlike most London made bowls of the time, this one is cut with nearly vertical flame grain, still perfectly visible under well-preserved light brown stain. A rare sight, if I ever saw one!The condition is very good throughout. The stampings are crisp and easily legible on both sterling and briar. The rim is in great condition with but the tiniest of scratches at two o'clock. The chamber tells of a well-loved pipe, with neatly formed even cake. The ebonite mouthpiece - clearly original judging by the silverwork and button - has very little chatter despite the age. In a word, outstanding.Measurements(approx.)Length: 14.3cm/ 5.6inHeight: 4.2cm/ 1.6inWidth: 3, 2cm/ 1, 2inChamber: 1, 9cm/ 0, 75inWeigth: 36gr/ 1.25oz
Stamping:L&Co
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!


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