James Upshall P Grade EXL Smooth Bell Dublin Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

James Upshall was, along with Ferndown and Ashton, part of a new wave of British hand-made, high-grade pipes in the late 20th century, with their founders largely coming from previous positions in the factories of companies such as Dunhill and Charatan. James Upshall was founded in 1978 by Barry Jones and Ken Barnes, both of whom had previously worked for Charatan and who had worked their way up to being carvers Charatan’s higher-end, non-standard shapes. Jones and Barnes’ pipes quickly grew to being something of a status symbol, and were enjoyed by King Hussein of Jordan, Anwar Sadat, Bing Crosby, Yul Brynner, Robert Wagner and Tom Selleck. The company also made house-brand pipes for Astleys in London. James Upshall pipes are no longer made, but their reputation as some of the finest hand-turned British pipes continues to endure. The “P” was the highest of James Upshall’s “standard” grades, and one notable for its excellent grain patterns. Taking its name from Charatan’s “Perfection” grade, the “P” was Barry and Ken’s attempt to create their own version of the warm, walnut contrast stain used by Charatan on such pipes. The Upshall boys were a little bolder when it came to comparing the “P” to Charatan in terms of quality, however. As Ken Barnes would later recount, the “P” was, rather, much closer to Charatan’s “Distinction,” presumably those of the quality Barnes and Jones saw first-hand when working there (under Reuben Charatan and Herman Lane, and Herman Lane, respectively). Speaking of Reuben, this particular “P” grade takes the form of what is essentially a massive Bell Dublin, a staple in Charatan’s early catalogs and one of Reuben Charatan’s own favorite shapes. One can’t help but wonder what he would have made of a pipe like this, given that it’s likely that he himself first introduced it to a young Barry Jones. Given the grain consistency it exhibits, I’d figure he’d be impressed, though given the proportions of even Charatan’s “Giant” shapes during his tenure, he might also chide Jones for showing off. This pipe is completely unsmoked. Some slight scuffing around the bowl, though nothing major.   Details: Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm Bowl Width: 0.98 / 24.89mm Bowl Depth: 1.88″ / 47.75mm Weight: 2.3oz / 66g

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