English Estates: GBD Virgin Dublin (293) (pre-1980) Tobacco Pipe

GBD was established in 1850 in Paris, France, its name the initials of its founders, Ganneval, Bondier, and Donninger, and the company was dedicated to the manufacture of meerschaum pipes. After a number of name changes thanks to the rather unstable company hierarchy, which saw Bondier being the only remaining original member of the brand's eponymous triumvirate, GBD's main operations began being ran by August Marechal and Ferdinand Ruchon. The first 40 years of the marque's existence was marked by a staggering 15 medals of achievement for their various pipe making innovations across multiple international fairs, firmly establishing them as one of the preeminent pipe manufacturers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1902, GBD became an English company, being sold to A. Oppenheimer & Co. in London in 1902 and having since expanded into the carving of briar pipes. Over the next century, Oppenheimer & Co. acquired other iconic brands such as BBB, Orlik, Loewe & Co., and Comoy's in the 1980s. Since then, GBD's production has been handled by Cadogan, continuing the marque's pipe making legacy into the 21st century. This Dublin was made prior to 1980, making it an alluring, vintage piece from the brand, and it boasts a sleek, agile silhouette sure to hold one's attention. The transition is wide, and it gives way to a slim shank that's met by a slender stem of tapering black vulcanite, keeping the aft side looking aerodynamic and one's attention at the fore. Up front, the bowl stands atop a rounded heel and grows subtly flaring walls that expand as they reach toward a chamfered rim, canting forward subtly as they do. Light and lean in hand, this pipe is primed for easy clenching despite being straight, and it's finished in a warm, mahogany-hued stain that showcases plenty of handsome grain.