Vintage Briar Tobacco Pipes, Tobacciana & Collectibles. Leslie John’FERNDOWN BARK’ Wood – one of the most accomplished Tobacco Smoking Pipe Crafters of our time is the man who HAND MADE this absolutely gorgeous and perfect TUDOR ROOT EXEMPLAR. This Beautiful, Vintage (1980’s), Unsmoked and Brand New FERNDOWN BARK Briar Pipe is to be celebrated in honour of a man who makes only world class smoking instruments. In the CLASSIC and highly polished BENT BILLIARD SHAPE It exhibits a very soft kaleidoscope of both Cross Grain and the wonderfully pretty and ever popular Birds Eye Grain. Les has chosen a light brown to honey coloured stain which is very attractive to the eye. The briar, being of the TUDOR ROOT genre, guarantees you of the finest wood possible in the crafting of Tobacco Pipes. The only thing missing from this most collectible exemplar is some of Les’ internationally awarded silver work at the ferrule. It would have been nice. But, nonetheless this pipe and indeed all’Ferndown Bark’ series pipes register at the very highest end of quality in his tobacco pipe line-up. This is a truly beautiful exemplar of notable quality, time honoured attention to tradition and detail, and of historical significance. But, suffice to say It’s such a lovely piece to behold. I think the pics are reasonably good and show the pipe pretty accurately and at its best. Just in case though, I do need to mention that there is just the odd very shallow and very difficult to see, tiny and minor mark on the bowl – not readily visible to the naked eye, but apparent to me under magnification. Are they’in your face’ or bothersome? No, I promise that is not the case. They are extremely minor, but I must tell you what I see, magnified or otherwise. Honestly, this is an awesome, HAND-MADE, RARE one of a kind, from Les Wood. I’m sure you will have noticed the lovely and softly proclaimed, smooth finish to the very Classic Billiard Shape. Also the attention to detail with the precision fitment of stem to shank – it is perfectly exact. Notice also, the lovely polished and perfectly flat finish to the rim and the very precise and sharp edges, both inner and outer. With particular regards to the stem/mouthpiece, most Ferndown pipes have extraordinarily expensive German Ebonite stems, certainly the’Ferndown Barks’, although there has been circulation of a few with acrylic stems, but this is a rarity. This pipe well exceeds all known World Standards to be considered an ARTISAN QUALITY HIGH-END EXEMPLAR. This Ferndown Bark is a’ONE OF A KIND’ fully Hand Made Pipe. It is a New Pipe and It’s a highly Collectible Pipe. We sometimes refer to Briar Pipes as Wooden Pipes – it sounds wrong doesn’t it? But, this’Old New’ Wooden Pipe, in any language, reflects the enormous talent of a man who has made nothing but High-End, valuable, and excruciatingly exact and adorable looking tobacco pipes, his whole lifetime. There is no such thing as’seconds’, or alternative branding for under-performing pipes in the Les Wood line-up. Bowls that are not up to scratch are simply discarded. Perhaps, but this is in keeping with Hand-Made pipes of this type of ARTISAN QUALITY, but if ever you’ve got up close and personal with a Les Wood pipe, or even better, smoked one, you certainly wouldn’t think so. That’s my promise and I speak from many years of experience with Ferndown Barks. I would without question own one in preference to even the most acclaimed and expensive Dunhill. This is one of Les’ finest Exemplars that belongs on the shelf above the’TOP SHELF’. I promise too that you’ll enjoy the exquisite flavours that come with this pipe, resulting from the OIL CURED seasoning It has undergone. In this respect FERNDOWN BARKS are quite unique. More about this below in Further Info and Snapshot. This is a true collector’s pipe. It has value beyond just it’s use as a smoking instrument. It has been impeccably crafted, it’s wonderfully presented, in MINT and PRISTINE condition. It’s pedigree and provenance is cloaked in plush aristocratic purple. It is supplied with it’s original brown and Ferndown Bark branded box (some wear on corners from storage) and dark brown, soft suede drawstring type pipe bag. Someone is going to be it’s happy and proud new owner. Okay folks, as succinctly as possible, but not always successfully, that’s about covered the description basics. Dimensions and stamping’s follow, but if you’d like to know a bit more, or some history perhaps, please refer to the Additional Information or Snapshot further down in this listing. And, please remember, if you like this item, but find a like branded item of the same quality for a lesser price, be in contact with us. We’ll always try and meet market and customer expectations. Macro photography and very sharp camera settings combined with enlarged images has a downside. Very tiny marks, or flaws, are way over-exaggerated and in most cases are not, or are just barely visible to the naked eye. Even a small speck of dust looks ominous. We crop our pics as large as we can to give you the best possible view of our items. But please be aware of the downside. It’s important to keep things in perspective with this sort of photography. Our pics also form an integral part of our item description. We DONT and WON’T list BAD SHODDY PIPES and only restore pipes of quality. We try to ensure our listings cover most tastes and budgets and hope you have found what you are looking for. All Measurements, Weights and Conversions are Approximate. Shank left side. Shank right side. Shank under – 3 Stars (then) FERNDOWN (over) TUDOR ROOT (then) HAND MADE IN (over) ENGLAND over (LES WOOD). Mouthpiece – LJS in yellow depicted on the LHS of the stem. This pipe is supplied with it’s original brown and Ferndown Bark branded box (some wear on corners from storage) and dark brown, soft suede drawstring type pipe bag. LES WOOD – FERNDOWN BARK SNAPSHOT. (For those who like a bit more information or history). Ferndown Pipes are prestigious high-end pipes made by world renowned pipe-crafter Les Wood, formerly of Dunhill fame. Les Wood, the second of two major carvers to leave Dunhill to start their own brand labels (the first being William John “ASHTON” Taylor), had perfected his craft there, but was even more celebrated for his silversmith work, this being the initial reason for which he was hired at Dunhill. Les Wood silversmithing is used by such brands as Ashton, Comoy’s, Bentley and others, still today. But when Pipe-sters get talking about tobacco pipes and when we get onto the subject of Les Woods and what makes his Ferndown pipes so unique, celebrated and collected is, aside from his enormous talent, the way in which his briar is treated. The very high grade and enormously expensive Grecian briar used exclusively by Les, is oil cured in a similar fashion to the Dunhill, Comoy’s and Ashton models to which he has so many ties. But Les Wood uses a different proprietary treatment with his specially selected briar. The method used is a closely guarded secret, in which it is suggested, that only Les and one trusted friend has intimate knowledge of. Les Wood pipes are celebrated and renowned for their pleasant, slightly nutty flavor and remarkable smoking characteristics. They feature impeccable craftsmanship and precise attention to detail, extending to extremely precise stem/bit work. Most LW pipes are often a quite a bit heavier than what is normally the case with most others. A Les Wood carved pipe is a pipe for life. Wood pipes in Germany. We cannot ascertain how many of these pipes pass the rigors of quality to be recognised as high grades and then stamped Ferndown Bark. It is suggested, very few. Leslie “Les” John Wood had worked for Dunhill for 25 years, where he was both a prominent carver and also the Master- Silversmith, before founding his own brand L. Briars together with his wife Dolly in 1978. Les Wood was the second ex-Dunhill artisan to become self-employed after William John Taylor of “Ashton” fame. To many pipe dabsters Les Wood’s pipes embody the revival of great English pipe-making initiated by Ashton in the late 70’s and early 80’s. The high grade Moroccan and Greek Plateau Briar he prefers is oil-cured in the tradition of both Dunhill and Ashton, but to his own secret formula. His pipes are renowned for their pleasant, slightly nutty flavour and remarkable smoking characteristics. It is said that once you have smoked a Les Wood Pipe, especially a “Ferndown Bark” you then smoke one for life! The hallmark of Les’ work is the excellent silver work he sometimes includes with his pipes. Les Wood’s metal work is frequently in demand with other brands like Ashton or Comoy´s and most recently with Bentley for the John Aylesbury POY 2008. Beyond a grading system known only to himself the only thing we’re aware of is his use of one to three stars to indicate the size of his pipes. Straight Grains are also designated with SG. Dating most LW Pipes is just as difficult as grading them, unless of course it has the “Ferndown Bark” stamping. Fortunately this TRADITIONAL, CLASSIC and full blooded bent billiard hasn’t been too hard. It has the proprietary LJS inscribed in the stem, used by Les on his earlier pipes. This pipe TUDOR ROOT PIPE is from somewhere in the 1980’s, perhaps the early 1980’s. Mostly free within Australia. Please understand we have no control over duration. We will not falsify parcel contents and values. Yes, we most certainly are, and being buyers ourselves we understand your concerns. Please know that o. Ur small base of operations is located right here in Beautiful Brisbane, Australia, where we’ve had the same business address and contact details for the past 43 years. How soon do I need to pay for my item? Can I wait and pay when I’m finished? Message us just to let us know and likewise please message us when you’re finished and we’ll send you an invoice. I’m an International Customer. With respect, we ask that you don’t ask us to break the law by falsifying parcel contents and/or value. Have all Club Esquire pipes been sanitised? Some, but not all. We not only carry our own restorations, but those of others too, including consignment items. Many of our items have been in storage for 22 years. It is’Best Practice’ upon receipt, to clean your pipe to your own satisfaction. What do I do, or who do I contact, if I run into some sort of unforeseen issue? Please, we’re no further away than your keyboard. Contact with us, or me (Melina) personally. I’m here to assist – any concerns – I’ll. Make Them Go Away – Promise! Further helpful information and answers to commonly asked questions can be found under. FAQ’s linked with the. We do honestly appreciate it. If this is not what you’re looking for perhaps you’ll find it in our OTHER ITEMS. We’ll always assist – customer or not. A Big Thanks too, to our wonderful customers who supported us at the very beginning. We’ve noticed and will be forever grateful. Melina, Giorgio, Barry – The CE Team. The item “Exquisite & New Bent Billiard FERNDOWN BARK Tobacco Smoking Pipe from Les Wood” is in sale since Saturday, September 8, 2018. This item is in the category “Collectables\Tobacciana\Pipes”. The seller is “clubesquire” and is located in Brisbane. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Product Type: Pipes
- Featured Refinements: Tobacco Pipe
- Body Shape: Billiard
- Les Wood Ferndown Bark Briar Wood Pipe: Light Brown Polished Briar Wood
- Modified Item: No
- Brand: Ferndown Bark
- Era: 1980s
- Country: England
