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[Margate, Kent, UK] Very Old Clay Pipe?


Omono

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I'm opening this new thread as in my "Fossil collection Part 1" came out from one of the pictures that I might have found and old broken clay pipe (found in a rock pool during a low tide)

 

Is there anyone that can help me understand if this is effectively a pipe and how old this object could be? 

 

Thank you!

 

Attached images: 

 

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Edited by Omono
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Very cool! I agree it is a clay pipe fragment. They started being made around 1573 and were commonly used until the late 19th to early 20th century. They are still sometimes used today. Dating it from whats left will be difficult but going by the little bit of decoration left and bulb size ( estimated from fragment) I’d suspect sometime in the 1700s. And I suspect it’s a personal pipe not a communal pipe from a pub or suchlike. Comunal pipes weren’t often decorated. Wich is why I suspect a personal pipe and the earlier the pipe the smaller the bowl becuase of the cost of tobacco. As the price went down in later years the bowl got larger….. The little bit of black at the stem is that dyed or smoke staining? If it is dyed then that would make it a comunal pipe. They had black or tan mark on the stem. You would rent/use the pipe then when finished break off the dyed part . The owner would re-dye the new end for the next customer. Or so I’ve heard. Check out WWW.pipearchive.co.uk . for dating and more info..

hope this helps…

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44 minutes ago, Randyw said:

Very cool! I agree it is a clay pipe fragment. They started being made around 1573 and were commonly used until the late 19th to early 20th century. They are still sometimes used today. Dating it from whats left will be difficult but going by the little bit of decoration left and bulb size ( estimated from fragment) I’d suspect sometime in the 1700s. And I suspect it’s a personal pipe not a communal pipe from a pub or suchlike. Comunal pipes weren’t often decorated. Wich is why I suspect a personal pipe and the earlier the pipe the smaller the bowl becuase of the cost of tobacco. As the price went down in later years the bowl got larger….. The little bit of black at the stem is that dyed or smoke staining? If it is dyed then that would make it a comunal pipe. They had black or tan mark on the stem. You would rent/use the pipe then when finished break off the dyed part . The owner would re-dye the new end for the next customer. Or so I’ve heard. Check out WWW.pipearchive.co.uk . for dating and more info..

hope this helps…

 

This is extremely fascinating! 

I'll check on the website how to clean them and update this thread. 

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