Looking for information on Taylor Made pipes

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JesseW

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I just bought one very lightly smoked estate. The pipe is quite small exept for the bowl which has quite a capacity compared to the pipe's overall size. It has nomenclature Taylor Made with Made in England' under it, with briar spot on the stem. Just like in the link http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/logo-t1.html#taylormade

It says that Bill Ashton-Taylor made these after leaving Dunhill, but before stamping them as Ashton. Does anyone know which years he made these? And was he making a lot of these? Ashton website states "since 1983" so I guess these were made earlier than that? Or was the name changed to Ashton later than 1983?

Here's a two pictures of it, the other pipe in the pic my size XXX Ashton which I set there so that the small size could be more visible.
http://www.aijaa.com/v.php?i=5292012.jpg
http://www.aijaa.com/v.php?i=5292034.jpg
Is there any other proud owner of these pre-Ashtons?
 
Yes, I know the pipes and even have one, too, although mine is smooth.

I asked R.D. Field about them when he was the Ashton distributor. I showed it to him and he was a bit put out. He said that they are a cheaper line that Bill Taylor made and that the pipes are not oil cured. He also said that he had been trying to import the line, but that Bill never made enough of them. I had more questions, but he seemed annoyed and I dropped the subject. This was perhaps 9 or 10 years ago.
 
Hello Gents,
Yes as Wet Dottle stated, they were a second line of less expensive Ashton pipes. Bill had many of these with him at the PCI Pipe Show in Crystal City Washington DC area back in the early 1990's. I did buy several of these and they are superb smokers as all of Ashton Pipes are in my opinion. I'm not an expert by any means but Ashton Pipes are my favorite British pipe bar none. At the show Bill told me that these pipes did not have handmade stems, and some had minor flaws but did not affect the smoking quality at all and were a bargain. He also told me that if any of these pipes had Brindle stems, they WERE handmade stems unlike the black vulcanite stems. As far as I know they were oil cured just like the other pipes but I don't recall for certain. And yes, RD Field was not happy about Bill Taylor selling a lesser line of pipes directly to the consumer!! LOL
I'm sure there's probably more info out there but this info I got first hand from Bill Himself. God Bless Him and may He Rest in Peace with a Pipe and a Pint.
Doc
 
Doc, thank you for your sane reply!

Bill Taylor also made Tilshead pipes as a line that was positioned below his Upshall line, did he not? One of my first pipes was a very nice Tilshead apple. Unfortunately it was stolen when my car was broken into. Sigh..

Doug
 
Please correct me if I am wrong but I thought Tilshead was a lesser line of Upshall. My memory fades me. I should look back into this because I have several. :)
 
dougc905":p5ldhc30 said:
Doc, thank you for your sane reply!

Bill Taylor also made Tilshead pipes as a line that was positioned below his Upshall line, did he not? One of my first pipes was a very nice Tilshead apple. Unfortunately it was stolen when my car was broken into. Sigh..

Doug
Click to expand...
Bill Taylor was not involved with the James Upshall Pipe Company, but, yes, the Tilshead pipes were Upshall "rejects." When you find them, they can be an amazing bargain. They are really just Upshall pipes with small flaws that keep them from making the cut. If you don't mind an occasional sandpit, keep your eyes out for them.

As for Taylor Made pipes, I've seen quite a few of them, and found them to be just as Doc described them - Ashton pipes with molded stems. Bill also made pipes for Barry Levin called Private Reserve. These show up occasionally, and next time I see one on ebay, I'll probably kick myself for talking about them. ;)
 
Nice information, thanks! At least the previous owner sold this to me as "pre-Ashton", but I would not be disappointed if it was later production. My vote would be this is oil cured, but I cannot be sure since it was (very lightly) smoked before me.

If this indeed is some sort of second, the only thing I can think of that would put this as class B is the drilling. It's correctly on bottom, but just a little off sideways. Not much - you notice it only once you put a cleaner inside. The wood itself and even workmanship is better than on that XXX (it's front panel is not parallel to back side on the bottom). The color is also a bit different (much darker red used) so at least it is very likely that this pipe was not made the same time than that XXX which is from year 2000.
 
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