Reviews of Various Sasieni Made Estate Pipes

[Tobias Lutz]

These are some estates I've come across in the past 6 months

Berkeley Club

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This is a final Sasieni second that was never stamped with the company’s name. It does have a “London Made” mark on one side of the shank, under the name “Berkley Club”. There is also a letter “B” within a circle at the end of the stem, immediately before the tenon. The bowl on this pipe is on the larger side of medium: almost 1 ½” deep and 1” in diameter. This pipe has a fair amount of cosmetic damage, but it’s a great smoker. I can get a solid hour out of it in the car and the bowl’s walls are thick enough to stay cool. Nonetheless, it is light enough to comfortably clench when necessary. The draw is open and the drilling is lined up perfectly for a thick pipe cleaner to slip through. This is a sitter which is always a nice feature. Overall I think this “second” is right in line with most Stanwells I’ve smoked, and definitely worth the money I paid for it on Ebay.

Old England

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This pipe is almost a carbon copy of the Berkeley Club with only one design difference- the walls of the bowl are slightly thicker. All the dimensions (length, height, bowl capacity, etc.) are identical, and the finish is a bit nicer, IMO. The tenon fits snuggly and it feeds a pipe cleaner perfectly. The weight is a little much for constant clenching, but it is still a good pipe for the car. I’m curious as to the age difference between this and the Berkeley because I wonder if they were producing basically identical pipes under two names at the same time, or if one preceded the other as the “factory second of the day”. Of the two, I prefer the Old England slightly more due to the finish and the thicker bowl. I think I paid around $30 for this one.

[Tobias Lutz]

Richmond

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This pipe was probably the best “steal” of the bunch. It arrived from the seller in fully restored condition, and it smoked great from the first bowl. The bowl is 7/8” in diameter and 1 ¾” deep, holding a smoke that will last for around an hour. This is another one of Sasieni’s factory seconds that is not stamped with the company name, but noted as “London Made”. I use this very helpful site to clarify nomenclatures and identify pipes. I really like the length on the shank, and its thickness. The bowl walls are also quite stout and the pipe smokes rather coolly. The briar itself is inundated with pinprick pits, but this is nothing more than an aesthetic flaw. It is a comfortable clencher, and while not a sitter, it settles very comfortably in my palm. The drill is perfect, and it cleans very easily. Overall, a pretty and very functional estate pipe.

Sasieni 964

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I’m generally not a fan of bent pipes, but I have a couple around for a change of pace. This is a fairly small pipe with a bowl that is 1 3/8” deep and ~3/4” in diameter. It has a stinger and is almost impossible to feed a pipe cleaner through (even discounting the stinger, the stem is very narrow). It smokes pretty well, though nothing to write home about. The bowl stays fairly cool, but it does tend to get wet in the bottom while never getting to the point of gurgling. It is a attractive pipe, both in shape and briar finish, so it is a nice option for carrying in public, but I believe I would have been disappointed had I purchased this pipe new. I have ~$30 in it, and I’m comfortable with that because I find it smokes about the same as a Dr. Grabow Omega. Ironically, of the five Sasieni and Sasieni seconds I own, the genuine Sasieni is my least favorite.

[Tobias Lutz]

Windsor

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Windsor was a Sasieni factory second that was stamped with the “Sasieni London Made” nomenclature. This is a very light pipe, and is actually carved to be a sitter- there is even a slight shaping to the bottom of the stem, near the shank, that enables it to sit flat. The bowl depth is ~1 ¼”, and the chamber width is ¾”. The biggest challenge I have with this pipe is packing it correctly. The draw is extremely open and unless it is packed very firm, I can’t keep it lit for longer than about 4 puffs. When the tobacco is loaded well, you can get around a 40 minute smoke out of this one. It has a standard tenon and feeds a pipe cleaner all the way through with ease. The bowl walls are moderately thin, but the rustication keeps it from ever becoming overly hot. It’s a good knock-around pipe for the car or the yard.