Vauen Model 43 Smooth Straight Billiard, Tapered Vulcanite Fishtail Stem, 9mm Filter, Estate Pipe

Vertical grain runs the full height of the bowl on this one, breaking into small bird's-eye figuring where the grain turns at the shoulder - the kind of block a cutter sets aside for a plain smooth shape rather than hides under a dark stain.

This is a Vauen straight billiard, smooth finish, stamped with the model number 43 on the shank. The stem is tapered vulcanite, cut to a fishtail bit, and bored for a 9mm filter.

In 1901 that firm merged with the works of Gebhard Ott, founded in 1866, to form Vereinigte Pfeifenfabriken Nurnberg, managed by Ernst Eckert of the Ott family. In 1909 Adolf Eckert coined the name VAUEN itself - the V of Vereinigte and the N of Nurnberg - the name stamped on this shank. A stem stamped VAUEN alone, without a dot, marks one of the lower grades in the line.

THE MARKS
- VAUEN, with the model number 43 stamped on the shank

A billiard is the reference shape against which most other bowls get measured: a round, straight-sided bowl set on a straight shank, built to sit level on a table or a rack rather than lean into a stand. The tapered stem narrows steadily from shank to button, the traditional cut for a straight pipe of this style, and the fishtail slot at the bit end spreads the draw across a flat opening rather than a single round hole, which is why a fishtail bit tends to sit gently against the teeth rather than dig in. A 40mm chamber depth over a 20mm chamber diameter gives a tall, narrow smoking column relative to the bowl's outer 52mm width - a generous wall of briar around a modest bore, which is part of what a smooth-finished billiard of this size is built to show off along with the grain.

Finish and grain: smooth briar, with vertical grain running the height of the bowl and bird's-eye figuring breaking out where the grain turns, per the seller's inspection.

The seller reports a couple of dents and faint scratches attributed to storage, along with some staining. No cracks, fills, or repairs are noted. The photographs are identified by the seller as the primary reference for condition and should be reviewed closely before purchase.

THE MEASUREMENTS
Length 149mm (6.0") - bowl height 52mm (2.1") - bowl width 52mm (2.1") - chamber depth 40mm (1.6") - chamber diameter 20mm (0.8") - weight 2.1 oz - 9mm filter

Ships from the Faridunhill / Pipe Collectors Encyclopedia archive. Worldwide shipping and professional sanitation on every estate pipe.

SKU: SKU-161