Lark Seconds?

Irishlefty · Lark Seconds?

I received a batch from auction that contains about 30 different shape made in Italy unused pipes with the Lark and Dr. Grabow underneath XXXXXXX. Outside of a lot of scratches and nicks these are new old stock and been sitting around someone's garage for years.

I know Lark was considered to be the bottom of the line but these darn things look like they are very well made out of pretty darn good stock.

Ted or anyone have an idea of what age these things might be or have any additional info about them? They are push stem with stingers. I figure I'll polish them up and sell them for $3-4 bucks each on e-bay.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Irishlefty

ted

Lefty.....Yep, I know a bunch about them. When I get back from NC.....ted

drbridges

Those Larks are no doubt from Leghorn Otto.

ozark southpaw

Lefty,why not offer them here-save listing and Paypal fees

Irishlefty

I can certainly do that. I would still want to sanitize them and at least polish up the outside. I wouldn't feel right about selling them in their present condition. I guess I could segregate by shape, post a picture of each shape with the number available and post in the Trading Post section.

drbridges · Otto Braun

During WWII, a German POW, Otto Braun, was held in the Winston-Salem, NC area. While there, Otto befriended some of the RJR tobacco folks, the Lavietes, and Paul Fish.

After the war, Otto returned to Livorno, Italy, where he started a pipe company called So La Res Spa. Through his many contacts in the Greek and Italian briar, tobacco, and pipe business Otto manufactured Lark and "Little" Duke pipes for Dr. Grabow from at least 1964 until about 1984.

There are some yellow spade Riviera DG pipes I've seen stamped Italian briar, and I wonder if those were not also made at Livorno.

Anyway, that is likely the story behind those Larks. The XXXX stamps probably indicate they were judged inferior and were not sold through normal channels. I've been led to believe So La Res Spa was intermittently inconsistent in their quality, and sometimes Sparta had to fill Lark and Duke orders from their own inventory. So ALL Lark and Duke pipes are not from Italy, but most of them are.

ted

ted

Dr.B.....In fact Otto did make some Riviera from about 64' till 67' or so....

In 64', 65', 66' the factory was "up to it's ass in alligators" making what we could. Otto provided "relief" with Lark, Duke, and a few Riviera.........ted

drbridges

I've developed a high opinion of the Aged Italian Briar yellow spade Riviera DG pipes. These Larks may prove more than satisfactory.

ted

Dr.B...Riviera, Italy.."They are the exception, rather than the rule". Lark aren't bad either...ted

Irishlefty

Thanks Dr. B and Ted. My thought in just looking at the pipes and holding them was that they are balanced well, appear to have a nice straight bore hole and probably would smoke very well.

I think I will take Ozark Southpaw's advice and polish/sanitize these then put them up here. That auction lot cost me about $2.50 per pipe so if I list them for $3.50 plus first class shipping, that would give me a buck and still provide a pipe for a good price.

ozark southpaw

Lefty,I want all the Bulldogs,Woodstocks, and Authors. They did make Larks and Dukes in those shapes right??

Irishlefty

Appears to be 2 bulldogs, the rest are all billiards, some a touch bigger then others but pretty much the same and all straight - there are 3 bents but the tehdons are all broken in the shafts.

Tomorrow I will take a few pic's and post 'um. I'll reserve the bulldogs for you, Ozark Southpaw.

Gig

Your a goodman Irishlefty Smile

TheDuke

Irishlefty

Info and pic's posted in the 'Trading Post' section. I confess, I had to try one and I can tell you they smoke fine! Don't know why they were seconds.

ozark southpaw · Lefty's Larks

Just wanted to show youse guys what IL larks can look like with a little work. Took me about 2-2 1/2 hours to do the Lark in the pic.( I take lots of breaks for coffee and to got pee).If you haven't bought one or three maybe you oughta!

ozark southpaw · Left's Larks

OK, so there is a reason why the little pipes were seconds.

I've never seen a Grabow with this many fills,and badly done fills at that! This was the better of the two small billiard I got from IL. I have also been working on one of the large billiards--think "Flame Duke".

ozark southpaw

Think I'm gonna try Sir Dukes rusticating trick on another of the large billiards !!

drbridges

I purchased about 3 of these "reject" LARKS. I've smoked one. The other 2 are held back in reserve.

I noticed a curious thing about the one LARK I've smoked. The airway into the bowl is enormous! A Q-tip passes through it barely touching. Because of the metal stem cleaner, this doesn't appear to affect the draw of the pipe. But I've never seen such a large airway. Makes me wonder if this mistake was picked up by quality control, and explains why these LARKS were X'd out and rejected?

ozark southpaw

I have been working on a Italian made Riviera. It too has a huge airway. Just checked the Lark in the pics above and it to has a large airway. Maybe the Italians drill them larger than the folks at Sparta ? Haven't looked at the other Larks yet.

drbridges

ted, I have a question about the DG pipes from Italy.

How finished were they when they arrived in Sparta? Were they sanded and stained? Were the stems fitted and faced? Were they stamped? Was the stem spade emblem in place?

ted

drbridges

Thanks, ted. I imagined they were close to finished since y'all had to start the Dr Grabow Snake Farm to get them off the dock intact. Surprised

But I also imagine Sparta still had to box or package the DG pipes from Italy. You have described how the big displays were assembled from bins of assorted pipes. Were the Italian DG pipes mixed with Sparta DG pipes on the same display board?

If the display was one of the large Skyliners, I can see how the color spade system could help a customer find the DG pipe he preferred, if the retailer kept the pipes arranged on the board so that the spade was displayed.

Once DG went to all filter pipes and individual plastic bubble packages, the color spade may have been seen as unnecessary.

ted

David, We sold the "little" Duke as 1/2 smooth and 1/2 rustic. Otto's production was 8 smooth and 4 rustic. Sparta made enough rustic to keep the assortment correct, and YES both imported and domestic Duke wound up in the same "bins" for filling orders....ted

Lark Seconds?

Otto Braun

Lefty's Larks

Left's Larks