402. SPECIAL BULLETIN: Irish Free State Reproduction 411 Ringed Bullcap and 3085 Panel Drop Today @ 6pm EST!
SPECIAL BULLETIN: Two vintage shapes dating from the Irish Free State era (1922-1928) drop at 6pm EST tomorrow at Smokingpipes.com, Friday (I think) at Smokingpipes.eu, and are either already available at your local Authorized Pete Dealer or soon will be.
The Ringed Bullcap from the c. 1925 Phillipp Weiss & Söhne trifold brochure, Vienna
The 411, or “Ringed Bullcap” as it is officially named in the 1947 Shape Chart, first appeared in the big trifold brochure from Vienna’s Phillipp Weiss & Söhne in the mid-1920s. With a chamber geometry of 17mm. wide by 25mm deep and a length of 135mm, it’s the type of classic clencher that anyone, anywhere might smoke on a decent coffee break or fill and refill throughout the day at the office. The last sight of it I can find in the literature is in the 1955 Dublin & London catalog, although I’m sure it continued for a bit after that.
The 3085 Panel from the c. 1925 Phillipp Weiss & Söhne trifold brochure, Vienna
The 3085 panel is also seen for the first time in the IFS Weiss & Söhne brochure, although it seems to have morphed into a similar, slightly larger diamond shank panel, the 596, by about 1940 or so. The chamber is 17mm wide by 29 deep, and like the new 411, measures 135mm in length. The chances of seeing a 3085 on the estate market are extremely scant, especially given the fact that the shape was probably only on the market for about 15-20 years all told.
The De Luxe release (seen above) features sterling, the inlaid aluminum P and a P-Lip stem, with, of course, top-tier briar.
Above, the Aran release of the 3085 and 411. This one is really fun–for me, at least–because we’ve got it in the earlier unmounted gold hot-foil P as well as the now standard nickel mount. Fans of the 1950s (think Oppenheimer, friends) will find these especially attractive, I think. Both in F/T, and I’m guessing they’re in vulcanite stems, but I don’t know.
The Kildare release seen above positions itself in terms of bowl quality between the Aran and the DeLuxe. As you can see, it features a P-Lip and the inlaid aluminum P.
The Harp, in both sandblast and smooth (as seen above) is perhaps my favorite in its aesthetic. I love the acrylic cumberland-style F/T, the sterling with iconic harp, and the inlaid aluminum P.
Seen above is the 3085 panel in the Donegal line, but never fear, the 411 Ringed Bullcap is also available!
While Laudisi graciously sent samples for me to photograph, time constraints have kept me from doing so in the manner to which I am accustomed. However, the only thing to be gleaned from an in person examination that you can’t see from the studio shots is that the F/T stems are true fishtails and should be extremely comfortable to clench.
The electronic strutcard
Many thanks to Kapp & Peterson
and Laudisi for media materials