Estate Pipes

I have a modest collection of pipes, only forty or so, and most of them were purchased new. I pared the collection down from over fifty by giving some away here and there or selling at a garage sale. Some that are now in the hands of other pipe smokers include a Jobey and a GBD. The Jobey I bought new and the GBD was an estate pipe I picked up from eBay. Both were decent smokes, but nothing special.

"Estate pipes" are, of course, a euphemism, for a used pipe. But "estate" sounds better. Buying a used pipe may not appeal to those unsure of just how clean or sanitary the pipe is, but there are prescribed methods for getting estate pipes to like new condition.

In addition to the value of purchasing estate pipes, i.e. usually a lower price than a comparable new pipe, the appeal for me of an estate pipe is the thought of who enjoyed the pipe before I got a hold of it.

A perfect example is the pipe pictured above. Lou at the Tobacco Hut took in dozens of estate pipes from an older woman whose husband could no longer smoke, and this was one of the many gems in the collection. After Lou cleaned, polished, and sanitized it, it was calling my name, plus I had never seen a pipe like it before, and I certainly didn't have anything close to its shape in my collection.

According to the imprint on the shank it was a "Sterncrest Special Make", a name I wasn't familiar with. With some research on the web, in addition to a query on Smokers Forums, I discovered a little about my newfound treasure. L&H Stern pipes were most popular from the 1930s-60s and this particular model, #1503 with its 14K gold band, sold for $20 according to the 1946 catalog.

I wondered who had smoked it through the years. Was I just the second person to have enjoyed it, or had it passed through several hands over the decades? Was it a returning serviceman who purchased it, or received it as a gift? When I look at the pipe, and especially when I pack it, light it, and begin smoking it, my thoughts frequently turn to the previous owner(s).

It seems to have been well taken care of - the stem has only some minor scratches, the bowl has a relatively even finish, and there's little cake to speak of on the inside. Either it wasn't smoked much over the last 60+ years or the owner was meticulous in how he took care of his pipes. I like to think the latter.

Cheers!
- Bob