Stanwell Royal Briar 63 Smooth Plateau Dublin Pipe - Made in Denmark

STANWELL, ROYAL BRIAR, MADE IN DENMARK and 63 are the marks on this pipe, and the plateau rim gives the smooth Dublin bowl an unmistakably uneven crown. This is a pre-smoked Danish freehand with a vulcanite saddle stem, a fishtail bit and no filter, offered in very good condition.

Stanwell's story begins in wartime Denmark. Poul Nielsen started pipe production in 1942, at a time when shortages encouraged the use of beech for pipe bowls. The Stanwell name was registered as a trademark in 1948. Its English-sounding name became attached to a Danish maker whose pipes would reach markets far beyond Denmark.

The company's own catalogue records new equipment and exports to Europe and the United States from 1952. It also places the move to a modern factory in Borup in 1965. Other published histories give 1969 for that move; the earlier date is the one stated in the maker's own account. These are milestones in the company story, rather than a manufacturing date for the Royal Briar shown here.

Danish production ended at the close of 2009, and regular production moved to Italy from 2010. The MADE IN DENMARK stamp on this example is therefore a useful statement of origin. It does not, by itself, establish a particular decade. Nor is a designer assigned simply from the shape number without a securely matched chart entry.

THE MARKS

- STANWELL / ROYAL BRIAR stamped on the shank
- MADE IN DENMARK stamped on the shank
- 63 stamped on the shank
- Crowned S logo on the stem

The Dublin form widens toward the rim, and here that outward movement meets a plateau top. Plateau is the natural outer surface of the briar burl retained as part of the design; its irregular texture differs from the shaped, smooth surfaces around the bowl. The photographs show the rim from several directions, including the relationship between the uneven outer edge and the chamber opening.

The body of the bowl is smooth, allowing the visible grain to follow the sides toward the heel. Its sculpted outline and the rising shank give it the freehand character described when it entered the archive. The form can be appreciated from the side and underside views without attributing a specific carver or an undocumented grade to it.

The vulcanite saddle stem starts with a fuller section beside the shank, then steps down toward a flattened fishtail mouthpiece. Its curve continues the movement of the bowl and shank rather than forming a straight billiard line. There is no filter. The stem-out photograph shows the fitting and the separation between mouthpiece and briar.

Condition: Pre-smoked, in very good condition. Please refer to the photographs for the bowl, plateau rim, chamber, shank, stem and stamps.

THE MEASUREMENTS

- Length: 137 mm (5.39 in)
- Bowl height: 48 mm (1.89 in)
- Bowl width: 43 mm (1.69 in)
- Chamber diameter: 20 mm (0.79 in)
- Chamber depth: 42 mm (1.65 in)
- Weight: 42 g (1.48 oz)

Ships from the Faridunhill archive. Worldwide shipping and professional sanitation on every estate pipe. SKU: 450