Andrew Thomson":3fhq394g said:
Hey thanks Zeno and Dave as that is helpful. I have found others for sale on the web with similar number equations so I assume it is genuine as the sellers all seem to be reputable. I purchased it from a really good pipe, cigar and whisky supplier in Cambridge so I don't think it is a fake. However you think it is likely to date to the 90's but doesn't that take it beyond the end of the Caminetto production period according to Josh's research? I would post some pictures but I am really new to the forum and I haven't a clue how to add any images to be honest. God that makes me sound an old fobbie so please forgive me.
I don't think your pipe is a fake. I hope I didn't imply that. My point was more that both sellers and buyers, but especially sellers, take liberties with information and folklore to gain the highest price. That's nothing new, but when you have so little documented information in a hobby, things can get really opportunistic and overstated. And some even simply make stuff up because they can. I'd believe joshoowah's information. In my eyes, there is old Caminetto production (the line of gold stamped logos) and new Caminettos (white inlay logos). Honestly, I've never differentiated much more than that, because I never had interest in them once they began being produced again (with the white inlay logos).
Check out the 60 Minutes piece on counterfeit wines from this past weekend. People spend $100K on a bottle of Thomas Jefferson wine without ANYONE in the chain (collector, seller, new buyer) confirming its provenance. It's in everyone's best interest if the lie is believed. Even the new buyer because they want to believe their new possession is the greatest thing possible in any given situation. It might seem counterintuitive, but it isn't.
I rarely ever check this area of the forums. I'm not sure I've ever seen this thread until yesterday. I would think I would have responded to joshoowah's call out to me. It could use some updating. That "HG" stamp is now not assumed to be of Harvey Grief fame, but of a shop in Europe. I think we discussed this elsewhere in a thread I started specifically about it, but my memory isn't so great this morning. I wouldn't want to muddy the waters with bad information.
I believe there has been at least one New Dear from the first couple years of production come on the market since this thread originated.