Standard Volcano Pot Briar Pipe - Oval Shank, Vulcanite Saddle Stem, Fishtail Bit, Estate

The shank carries a single word: STANDARD. No shape number, no country stamp, no grade mark - just that. This is an estate briar pipe stamped STANDARD as its sole nomenclature, in a straight volcano-pot form with a curved heel, an oval shank, and a vulcanite saddle stem finished with a fishtail bit. No model name, shape number, or additional stamping accompanies the single word on the shank. The pot shape belongs to the same broad family as the bulldog and the billiard: a short, wide-chambered bowl built for volume rather than height, favored by smokers who want a long burn without a tall bowl catching every breeze in the open. A true pot carries near-vertical walls and a flat base; what is described here departs from that in two ways worth noting. The rim flares outward as it rises toward the crown - the volcano element, a profile that widens from the base of the bowl toward the lip, so the bowl reads narrower at the heel than at the top. And the base itself is curved rather than flat, so the pipe rests on its belly rather than standing upright on its own - a shape suited to a rack or the hand, not the desk. The shank is cut oval rather than round, a more demanding job for the pipe maker: an oval shank has to be drilled true and the stem's tenon and face matched to it by hand, since no lathe chuck holds an oval blank as easily as it holds a round one. Most collectors also find it the more elegant of the two - the line reads as one continuous curve from bowl to button rather than a cylinder set against a bowl. The stem is vulcanite - hard rubber cured with sulfur, the material nearly every pipe stem was made from before acrylic became common. It is valued for a warmer feel in the hand and a slight give under the teeth that acrylic does not offer, at the cost of oxidizing toward brown or green if left in strong light over the years. It is cut as a saddle: a stepped profile where the stem drops to a lower, flatter section just behind the button rather than tapering continuously from shank to tip. The bit is fishtail - the slot widens into two flared wings at the button instead of narrowing to a single round hole, which spreads the smoke across the tongue rather than directing it in one stream. There is no filter system fitted; the draft runs an unbroken 9mm bore straight through from tenon to chamber, an open and unrestricted smoke. THE MARKS - STANDARD - the only stamping present, cut into the shank; no shape number, no country of origin, and no other mark This pipe has been smoked previously. The seller reports the condition as excellent; no cracks, fills, or repairs are noted, and no damage to the rim, chamber, or stem is reported. THE MEASUREMENTS Length 135mm (5.4") - bowl height 45mm (1.8") - bowl width 38mm (1.5") - chamber depth 40mm (1.6") - chamber diameter 20mm (0.8") - bore 9mm - weight 1.1 oz Finish and grain: see the photographs. Ships from the Faridunhill / Pipe Collectors Encyclopedia archive. Worldwide shipping and professional sanitation on every estate pipe. SKU: 055