Barling Smooth Cutty with Silver (1893) Tobacco Pipe

Benjamin Barling was an English silversmith known for his intricately detailed work in ornamenting meerschaum pipes. Realizing the potential of this venture, he founded B. Barling and Sons in 1812, outfitting pipe smokers with fine fitments for nearly a century until, in 1906, the family began production on their own line of briar pipes. These pipes quickly gained a reputation for not only their style, but for offering superior smoking qualities and high-end craftsmanship.

It is extremely seldom that we see pipes as old as this Cutty, and even more seldom that we see pipes of this vintage from Barling, being crafted well before the brand started to make their own pipes and showcasing the brand's celebrated silverwork. This silver is present at the junction in the form of a broad band with a ring on the underside, presumably for attaching a chain, with additional silver showcased at the rim: where the entire expanse of briar is capped with the precious metal. Shape-wise, this piece fairly compact, coming in at just a bit under five and a half inches long, though it's especially impressive thanks to its shockingly light weight of 18 grams, or just slightly over half an ounce. The transition is wide, and it gives way to a lengthy, willowy shank paired to a slender, tapering stem of black vulcanite, the combination's reach and junction accent keeping the visual weight feeling balanced. Up front, the bowl stands on a rounded heel and cants forward dynamically, its walls flaring out subtly to the rim, and it provides plenty of space to showcase the stummel's warm stain.