Billie W. Taylor II, Ph.D.
Collection

the pipe

the pipe

Table of Solid Colors and Shapes of the pipe.
A check appearing more than once in a cell indicates different examples of the shape/color, usually in packaging.
Shape

Color

Apple
apple
Author
author
Bent
bent
Billiard
billiard
Bulldog
bulldog
Canadian
canadian
Dublin
dublin
Pot
pot
Ebony Check  Check Check Check  Check Check   Check Check   Check Check Check   Check Check  Check
Oyster White Check Check Check Check Check Check Check Check
Burnt Orange Check Check Check Check  Check Check Check Check Check
Coral Check Not Manufactured   Check Check Not Manufactured Check Check
Avocado Green Check Check Check Check  Check Check Check Check Check
Sage Green Check Not Manufactured Check  Check Check Check Not Manufactured Check Check
Forest Green Check Not Manufactured Check     Not Manufactured   Check
Ash Grey Check Not Manufactured   Check Check Not Manufactured Check Check
Morocco Grey Check Not Manufactured Check Check Check Not Manufactured Check Check
Federal Gold Check  Check Check Check  Check Check Check  Check Check Check Check  Check
Horizon Blue Check Not Manufactured   Check Check Not Manufactured Check Check
English Blue Check Check Check Check Check Check Check Check  Check
California Rosé Check Check Check Check Check Check Check Check
Maroon Check Check Check  Check Check Check Check Check Check
Raspberry Check Not Manufactured Check Check Check Not Manufactured Check Check
Burgundy Red Check Check Check Check Check Check Check Check   Check
Mocha Brown Check Not Manufactured Check Check Check Not Manufactured Check Check
Rare Woods  Check Not Manufactured Check Check Check Not Manufactured Not Manufactured Not Manufactured
Real Briar Check Not Manufactured Check Check Check Not Manufactured Not Manufactured Not Manufactured
California Style Check  Check Check Check Check Check Check Check Check

A ninth shape—Giant Pot'—is said to have been manufactured briefly circa 1969. Apparently, the original plan was to make the Giant Pot larger overall and it was announced in the 1968 RTDA Almanac before production began. Since I have three Pots with unusually large inner diameter bowls (7/8" versus the regular pot 3/4")—Ebony, Federal Gold and Ash Grey— I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the descriptions and the recollections of production people I have talked to are not what really happened. It seems that the advertised larger bowl capacity did not require a larger pipe. All that was needed to get the advertised 36% greater capacity was to make the outer wall of the bowl just a smidgen thinner and the bowl liner wall slightly thinner. Whether or not these are the shape advertised is still uncertain, but after some twenty years of searching I am prepared to believe that the shape was announced before manufacturing was begun and the final product varied from the initial concept.

Bulldogs were sometimes made with the top half of the bowl in a contrasting color. These were called Bulldog Buff Designs. The name comes from a method of removing paint—buffing. It is supposed that the bowl was masked, buffed, and painted twice to get the second color. However, I had a pipe come apart in a way which suggests that the stummel and top were separately made. Eight Buff Designs are mentioned in the Literature. Black buffs on Burnt Orange, Oyster White, Federal Gold, and Avocado Green were first offered between 1967 and 1970. Beginning in 1973 or so white buffs on Federal Gold, Burgundy Red, Avocado Green and English Blue were presented.


This second table shows pipes in the collection which have Fashion Stripes added to the basic color. So far as we know, Apple, Author, and Dublin pipes never had Fashion Stripes added. Numbers indicate which of the nine patterns identified so far the pipe has using these codes:
o = 1 narrow stripe
1 = 2 narrow stripes of the same color
2 = 2 narrow stripes flanking a medium width stripe, all of the same color
3 = 3 narrow stripes of 3 different colors OR 2 of the same color flanking one of a different color
4 = 5 narrow stripes on an Ebony pipe; White, Red, White, Blue, White (All-American)
5 = 3 medium stripes of the same color
6 = 4 medium stripes of 2 alternating colors
7 = 2 medium stripes flanking a wide stripe, all of the same color
8 = 4 narrow stripes on an Oyster White pipe; Red, Blue, Red, Blue (All-American).
A number appearing more than once in any cell indicates different colors of stripes or packaging or some other variation but having the same pattern of stripes. A more thorough discussion of striping can be found on the Valuing the pipe page.

Table of Fashion (Racing) Stripes on the pipe.
Shape

Color

Bent
bent
Billiard
billiard
Bulldog
bulldog
Canadian
canadian
Pot
pot
Ebony Pattern 3  Pattern 3  Pattern 4 Pattern 3  Pattern 4  Pattern 5  Pattern 7 Pattern 1 Pattern 3 Pattern 2  Pattern 3  Pattern 7   Pattern 4
Oyster White single stripe  Pattern 1  Pattern 3  Pattern 6  Pattern 8 single stripe  Pattern 1  Pattern 3  Pattern 6  Pattern 7  Pattern 7  Pattern 8 Pattern 1  Pattern 8 Pattern 2  Pattern 8 Pattern 1  Pattern 1  Pattern 6  Pattern 7  Pattern 8
 Burnt Orange Pattern 1  Pattern 2 Pattern 1  Pattern 3  Pattern 7 Pattern 1 Pattern 1 Pattern 1  Pattern 7
Federal Gold Pattern 3  Pattern 7  Pattern 1 Pattern 3  Pattern 2 Pattern 1 Pattern 1 Pattern 7  Pattern 3  Pattern 1
English Blue Pattern 3  Pattern 7 Pattern 1  Pattern 3  Pattern 7 Pattern 1 Pattern 1 Pattern 1  Pattern 5
California Rosé   Pattern 1     Pattern 1
 Maroon Pattern 2 Pattern 1  Pattern 2     Pattern 2
Burgundy Red Pattern 1 Pattern 1 Pattern 1 Pattern 1 Pattern 1

Table of featherROCK the pipe
Shape

Color

Sierra
sierra
Blue Ridge
blue ridge
Brown Check Check
Green Check Check
Grey Check Check