BBB is another brand that you don’t see me selling very often, if at all… and the biggest reason is that I am a huge fan and tend to keep most of the pipes for myself. This being said, though, you will see quite a few in the coming weeks or months — I just can’t keep all of them…

BBB has quite a different story from most English pipe brands, starting with the fact that it is one of the oldest pipe brands still in production today. Their story begins somewhere in the 1820s, mainly with clay pipes, but the company as we know it today is considered to have started in 1847, when Adolph Frankau established it in London.

Around that time, he hired a 14-year-old boy named Louis Blumfeld, who in 1856 was entrusted with the company by the late Mr. Frankau’s widow, and this is how Blumfeld’s Best Briars — BBB — was born.

They have created some of the most interesting cased meerschaum and briar pipes that I have ever seen — beautiful craftsmanship, perfect amber stems, and gorgeous silver bands. They were also not afraid to experiment with all kinds of shapes, sizes, and systems, which just makes them infinitely interesting to me.

It will take some time before I can part with some of my most prized 100+ year-old cased pipes, and those tend to easily fall under the “astronomical” price classes, so for now I want to introduce you to the brand, in a way, with some lovely pipes on the more affordable side.

More on the brand and the different eras and grades in the other BBB listings.

Condition note: there is a small uneven spot on the rim, which was created by less-than-ideal lighter control and puts this pipe at Grade A4.

The pipes go through one final check before shipping, so if you notice any inconsistencies in the carnauba finish or smudges they will be taken care of before your pipe is shipped to you.