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Turn this bowl over and there is a second opening at the base: a hole drilled straight up into the chamber, meant to be covered and uncovered by a finger to change how much air reaches the tobacco.
The shank is stamped Steel\'s (2062) Pat no 8304. This is a smooth, straight Zulu with a tapered stem and a fishtail mouthpiece; the seller reports it pre-smoked and in very good condition.
Bowl: briar
Stem: not identified
Mouthpiece: fishtail
Filter: none
Stamped: \"Steel\'s (2062) Pat no 8304\"
The Zulu sits among the more distinctive shapes in the pipe canon: a bowl with real flare and mass at the base, next to which a plain billiard or a rounded apple looks restrained. This example is straight rather than canted, and left smooth rather than blasted or rusticated, so the wood\'s own surface carries the shape without any added texture. At 46mm tall and 33mm across the bowl is substantial without being oversized, and a chamber 20mm across by 40mm deep runs deeper than its diameter alone would suggest, which means more tobacco and a longer smoke before the bowl needs reloading. The stem is tapered rather than stepped down in a saddle profile, narrowing gradually from shank to bit, and ends in a fishtail slot - a wide, flattened opening at the bite point rather than a single round aperture or a P-lip hook.
The hole through the base of the bowl is a supplementary air path into the chamber. Covered, the pipe draws through the stem alone; uncovered, it lets outside air reach the tobacco directly, which cools and thins the smoke arriving at the bit. It does nothing to filter or clean the smoke, and it is not a second bowl; it only changes how much air joins the draw.
The stem is described as backlit: held up to a light source it shows some translucency. No material is stated for it in the note, and none is claimed here - vulcanite, horn and some early acrylics can each show this quality to different degrees, and only direct inspection settles which one this is.
The finish is smooth, without sandblast or rustication added over it, which leaves the briar\'s own surface as the only decoration on the bowl. A smooth finish is also the least forgiving for a maker, since there is no texture to disguise a plain patch of wood or a filled flaw; whatever grain runs through this block is visible without alteration. Finish and grain: see the photographs.
Condition: the pipe has been smoked and is graded very good by the seller. No further condition detail accompanies that grading; refer to the photographs for finish, rim and stem detail beyond it.
THE MARKS
- \"Steel\'s (2062) Pat no 8304\" stamped on the shank
THE MEASUREMENTS
- Length: 145mm (5.7in)
- Bowl height: 46mm (1.8in)
- Bowl width: 33mm (1.3in)
- Chamber diameter: 20mm (0.8in)
- Chamber depth: 40mm (1.6in)
- Weight: 32g (1.1oz)
Ships from the Faridunhill / Pipe Collectors Encyclopedia archive. Worldwide shipping and professional sanitation on every estate pipe.
SKU: 432
