click to enlargeBack when I was more concerned with turning a profit than with simply collecting every Kaywoodie shape I could find, I acquired a beautiful Prime Grain Kaywoodie in the same lovat shape as above. If I recall correctly, I sold it for $20, which pretty much paid for the whole lot that it came in. As time went by, I came to regret that sale, and determined that I would try to find a replacement for it. Eventually this one came up on eBay.
Oh, it was in sad shape, and I shelled out $10 for it. When I first received it I thought I had snookered myself, but with diligent cleaning, reaming, and a couple of salt treatments, it began to sparkle like the fine old pipe it is.
As hard as it is to accurately date Kaywoodie pipes, this one has proved to be especially hard for me. It is generally considered that the more holes the stinger has, the older it is, and 4-hole stingers are generally more desirable to Kaywoodie collectors than 2- or 3-hole. Going by the stinger, I would estimate this pipe to have come from the 1940s, but I'm not sure they had yet begun using the term "Standard" grain until the 1960s. So I'm just not sure.
click to enlargeThis pipe has a 4-hole stinger. You can see only two of the holes in this photo, but if I were to display a reverse shot, you would see the other two. If you enlarge it, you may also be able to discern the word "DRINKLESS" stamped on the stinger itself. This is because Kaywoodie used the term "Drinkless" as a generic term to refer to their trademark stinger design in the earlier years. Later, "Drinkless" became an actual grade (the lowest) of Kaywoodie pipes. This is the only Kaywoodie I have personally seen that has "DRINKLESS" stamped on the stinger itself.
Nomenclature on this pipe is "KAYWOODIE" over "Standard" (in script) on the left shank, with the number "90" on the right shank. 90 means Kaywoodie designated this shape as a medium Canadian. Kaywoodie regarded all shapes of the Canadian family as "Canadian" regardless of the shank and bit shapes.
Someday, if I manage to find another Prime Grain in this shape, I might consider selling this one. But until then, this one remains part of my collection and is part of my semi-regular rotation.
AlanDP,
ReplyDeleteI know this is a old post,
I'm not sure when they started the switch from 4 to 3, but the 4 holed stingers were in fact used off and on into the 1960's.
from what I gather from other collectors, it's hit and miss on buying a pipe from that period on which Synchro-Stem Stinger they will have.
Does yours have the patent number on it?
No, no patent number.
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