Help On James Barber, "Les Wood" Carved York Pipe.

[herbinedave]

I purchased this pipe earlier in the year and it is a 3*** Cherrywood carved by Les Wood. It does have the L&JS hallmark on the silver band. Here is the only information I have on it, an email from James Barber:

Dear David,
We had these pipes made by Les Wood as we had a dispute with the USA distributor who was not happy as I was selling these pipes to customers in the USA. We made them for about a year until the dispute was resolved. I do not have any records but I am pretty sure it was about 1999-2000.
kind regards,
James Barber

On 25/08/2012 00:49, Dave J@#%!^^^ wrote:
> Dear Sir:
>
> Just wondering if you can date this pipe for me. It is a James Barber York 3*** Cherrywood shape. I know it was carved by Les Wood to be sold as a proprietary pipe in your shop. Thanks in advance and I have sent a few pics.
>
> Sincerely,
> David J@#&****

Just curious if anyone has one of these pipes or has ever seen one. Here are a few pictures.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Are there any hallmark stamps on the band?

 

[herbinedave]

Are there any hallmark stamps on the band?

It has Les Wood's L&JS on the silver band.

 

[riff raff]

That might be as close as you get on a date Dave. I don't know why Ferndown (or Les Woods) doesn't hallmark date their bands. I suppose being a smaller manufacturer than Peterson, they aren't obligated? I don't think I've ever seen a Ferndown with a hallmark date. I think it would be simple to do this. I'm curious if anyone knows why they aren't hallmarked.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

herbindave, please send that pipe to me immediately and I will gladly date it for you and ... uh hmm ... then return it ... yes, return it ... that's what I'll do ...

 

[herbinedave]

That might be as close as you get on a date Dave. I don't know why Ferndown (or Les Woods) doesn't hallmark date their bands. I suppose being a smaller manufacturer than Peterson, they aren't obligated? I don't think I've ever seen a Ferndown with a hallmark date. I think it would be simple to do this. I'm curious if anyone knows why they aren't hallmarked.

Al the only other James Barber "Les Wood" I ever say was on Worthpoint. I am just curious if they are rare or where more common in England as I have not seen another turn up since I bought this one on the Bay.

 

[Slartibartfast]

It has Les Wood's L&JS on the silver band.

I don't know why Ferndown (or Les Woods) doesn't hallmark date their bands...I don't think I've ever seen a Ferndown with a hallmark date...I'm curious if anyone knows why they aren't hallmarked.

I have an old L&JS meer in the Peterson standard style which is hallmarked 1980. The L&JS stamp is at 9 o'clock and immediately below it are three hallmarks, from left to right: lion passant (silver quality), lion's head (London Assay office), date letter. So Les has indeed hallmarked at least some of his pipes. Is it possible that the band is not actually silver? The only other pipe of his I have is a Ferndown one star bark, which has no hallmark but the band is stamped .925, which I beleive is minimal standard for sterling.

:scratch:

 

[riff raff]

It has Les Wood's L&JS on the silver band.

I don't know why Ferndown (or Les Woods) doesn't hallmark date their bands...I don't think I've ever seen a Ferndown with a hallmark date...I'm curious if anyone knows why they aren't hallmarked.

I have an old L&JS meer in the Peterson standard style which is hallmarked 1980. The L&JS stamp is at 9 o'clock and immediately below it are three hallmarks, from left to right: lion passant (silver quality), lion's head (London Assay office), date letter. So Les has indeed hallmarked at least some of his pipes. Is it possible that the band is not actually silver? The only other pipe of his I have is a Ferndown one star bark, which has no hallmark but the band is stamped .925, which I beleive is minimal standard for sterling.

:scratch:

Both of my Ferndowns and another Peterson are samped 925 Sterling, I believe that is a standard pipe stamping. I've only seen 925 stamped on pipe silverwork.

I saw another Barber Woods, but it was a while back, found this at SmokingPipes:
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/peterson/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=42483

And this news release about a 2000 year edition, a bent Rhodesian (boy, I'd love to see that pipe):
Dear Reader
From Norman Harrison at6 James Barbers, England
[email protected]
Ferndown 2000 Pipe


To celebrate the MILLENNIUM and the year 2000, Les Wood has produced,
exclusively for James Barber, the Ferndown 2000 pipe.
This pipe is a limited edition of just forty pieces. Available in one
shape only, a bent Rhodesian. The pipe has been hand crafted from finest
quality root briar. A special pipe manufactured to the exacting
standards of Ferndown Pipes. The assay office with the United Kingdom
Millennium Hallmark stamps each pipe. The pipe comes in it's own humidor
style presentation box with a leather pouch. The pipes are not
individualy numbered but do come with a certificate of authenticity
signed by Les Wood and stating that only forty pieces will be made.

212.76 pounds+ VAT ( if applicable) + shipping ( USA 30.00 pounds-
Fedex)

BECAUSE THIS PIPE IS EXCLUSIVE TO OURSELVES WE MAY SHIP TO ANY COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD

View at http://www.smoke.co.uk - pipes - Les Wood - Ferndown 2000


Kind regards

I love a pipe mystery and a very interesting pipe for sure!

 

[dbreazeale]

James Barber had tobacco shops in England. I think still does. He was also friends with Alfred Dunhill and that's "supposedly" how the Barber B-Line pipes got the rumor to have been made by Dunhill. I have one Barber Otley pipe that looks a lot like a bent Dunhill bruyure. Who knows? Les Wood worked for Dunhill so it stands to reason that they had that in common and Les did some shop pipes for his old buddy down the road.

 

[sisyphus]

Les Wood stamped pipes are for the German market only, and they are all 9mm. They are sold through Dan Pipe.

The 925 on silver bands stands for .925 silver content, which is the requirement for a silver product to call itself Sterling.

As for the Barber B lines, I don't know. Dunhill has made a lot of pipes under a lot of names over the years, some not quite as equal as others. Afaik the Parker plant is still in operation, and I would wager that is where the Parkers, Hardcastles, and Barber B lines come from. The only non-Dunhill stamped pipes I've smoked that were of Dunhill quality were the Dunhill produced Astleys, which I would wager came from the same plant that turns out Dunhill branded pipes. They stopped making them around the turn of the millenium I believe. Those Astleys were excellent pipes and represent a good value.

 

[herbinedave]

James Barber had tobacco shops in England. I think still does. He was also friends with Alfred Dunhill and that's "supposedly" how the Barber B-Line pipes got the rumor to have been made by Dunhill. I have one Barber Otley pipe that looks a lot like a bent Dunhill bruyure. Who knows? Les Wood worked for Dunhill so it stands to reason that they had that in common and Les did some shop pipes for his old buddy down the road.

I have a Barber Otley Bent Dublin that is a spitting image of a Golden Parker Dublin that I have. I will post pics in a few.

 

[riff raff]

I'd still like to know why any pipe maker wouldn't put the hallmark dates on a sterling band, which has to be stamped as such anyway. (I'm assuming the pipe maker stamps the 925 Sterling mark). If the silver is already stamped that way, I could see them not going to that effort. But, knowing the date of a pipes manufacture is always so critical to nearly every pipe smoker - why would you avoid providing that information?

 

[sisyphus]

Isn't one of the hallmark symbols the symbol of the registered silversmith? Perhaps Les doesn't pay his silversmith dues

Now that you mention it, the only pipes I see that have hallmarks on their bands without fail is Loewe.

 

[riff raff]

All Peterson pipes, sold in the UK must be hallmark dated. I'm not sure if that is a regulation of Ireland or a practice by Peterson.

 

[sisyphus]

Afaik Les does all silver work on his pipes, in addition to Upshall, Ashton and at least some of Dunhill's silver adorned pipes. I've never seen a hallmark on any of those. I'll ask him and post the answer I get.

 

[herbinedave]

James Barber Otley 391

Golden Parker 391 Made In London England

Golden Parkers are from the mid 70s range of pipes. The Otleys I believe where made in the 90s. Quite the coincidence they both are numbered 391.

 

[riff raff]

Afaik Les does all silver work on his pipes, in addition to Upshall, Ashton and at least some of Dunhill's silver adorned pipes. I've never seen a hallmark on any of those. I'll ask him and post the answer I get.

That would be fascinating to learn the reason, thanks and what a treat to be able to speak with Les Woods! Not much help here for Dave, but at least perhaps we'll learn why they aren't dated.

 

[sisyphus]

Les says that in England silversmiths are authorized by the assayer to stamp their own work, provided the article is under 21 grams.

In addition Les did the silver for the post merger Cadogans. I mentioned the Loewe thing to him and he said he did them from 1979 to 2007. Cadogan wanted hallmarks on the Loewe, Comoy's and BBB work he did for them.

So there it is, straight from the source.

 

[riff raff]

Les says that in England silversmiths are authorized by the assayer to stamp their own work, provided the article is under 21 grams.

In addition Les did the silver for the post merger Cadogans. I mentioned the Loewe thing to him and he said he did them from 1979 to 2007. Cadogan wanted hallmarks on the Loewe, Comoy's and BBB work he did for them.

So there it is, straight from the source.

Is there a reason why he doesn't stamp a date on his Ferndown pipes in addition to the 925 Sterling mark?

 

[Slartibartfast]

Great stuff here Gents. Happy New Year to all!