AWESOME BERTRAM SAFFERLING SMOOTH FREEHAND ESTATE PIPE (3) VHTF EXCELLENT PIECE For Sale

Rare Bertram Safferling Grade 3 2-Drop Artisan Pipe, Amazing Grain & His Iconic Styling. VHTF Pipe!

I NEVER USE AI DESCRIPTIONS. 👍

DIMENSIONS & PIPE INFO ⬇️

• Length: 5.25”
• Bowl Height: 1.98”
• Bowl Width: 1.77”
• Chamber Diameter: 0.78”
• Chamber Depth: 1.57”
• Weight: 2.78 ounces
• Filter: None
• Stem: Vulcanite
• Age Estimate:
• Nomenclature: 3, 2 DROPS / FLAMES INSIDE A SQUARE (LOGO STAMP)

Here’s a very hard to find Bertram Safferling Grade 3 handmade briar pipe in great condition and a true beauty, handmade out of Germany. (More on Safferling at the bottom.) He worked out of Stuttgart, Germany until going to Italy to teach pipe carving. He only produced about 100 pipes per year with most grabbing them up in Germany and Italy and rarely finding their way to the USA. He did almost everything by hand with the minimum electrical equipment needed.

I kept this beauty for a while. I was doing research and found just how many people are Safferling devotees and how difficult it can be to find one of his pipes, let alone a handsome piece like this that really represents his unique styling. I’m a collector like most of us and show me a beautiful pipe and tell me I may not find another for God knows how long, I’m keeping it. That’s an ongoing struggle in this business though. I want to be able to offer those hard to find pipes so here is this guy.

This pipe is one where you need not check the stamp to know who likely made it and that’s always pretty cool. The freestyle briar shows off gorgeous straight grain all around with really nice bird’s eye grain across the wide, curving spine and on top. The closer you look, the nicer it gets.

It’s stamped 3 and has 2 drop or some interpret as flames or birds that are inside a square outline for his logo. The pipe is in very nice condition all over and I’ll let you decide for yourself through the photos. Any questions, feel free to ask. - Pete

Bertram, much like Baldo Baldi, worked with hand tools and the minimum of electrical equipment. He was a slow and deliberate pipe maker, so there were never a lot of his pipes to put in the marketplace.

In his book titled "Rare Smoke - The Ultimate Guide to Pipesmoking" Richard Carleton Hacker had this to say concerning Mr. Safferling:

"One of Germany's more elusive pipemakers, the quality of his briars can be measured by the fact that he lives in Stuttgart, home of the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz automobiles. Bertram makes approximately 100 pipes a year, which are eagerly sought after by smokers in Germany and Italy, with a few just now being discovered by aficionados in the U.S. His avant garde stylings are what one might call neo-Euro, often appearing more like briar sculptures than pipes, but simplistic in design and still practical as a smoking instrument. Safferling prefers to put a dull matte finish on most of his pipes, which accents their subdued modernistic flair. The bowls are precarbonized with a charcoal and glycerin mixture.

PIPE PREPARATIONS & INFO:

Estate pipes, smoked or unsmoked, always have the small chance of minor handling marks. The 10-20 photos show the pipe well. Use them as your guide to condition as with any item. I’m happy to answer any questions.

» You get what you pay for.

At a minimum, I do everything possible to make sure the pipe is at its best and packaged well. All pipes are carefully inspected, cleaned, gently buffed, waxed with Carnauba and the stems are hand polished and oiled as needed. For a decade, I’ve put all I have into these pipes, packaging and more. I really enjoy it and my fellow hobbyists.

BY PURCHASING A TOBACCO PIPE OR RELATED ITEMS FROM THIS STORE, YOU ATTEST / AFFIRM YOU ARE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD.

I do not have the time to reply to messages asking for deals. If I have room to move, I’ll list the pipe as “Or Best Offer.” Prices are firm. Please consider the large seller fees, taxes and equipment investments. If I don’t reply, no offense intended. It’s just time consuming to explain all this in each message. I appreciate your consideration.

All info such as filtered or no, dimensions and info is listed above, most of it at the beginning of the ad in bullet points.

AFTER YOUR PURCHASE & INFO:

I spent a lot of time planning every little part and unboxing experience is important too. I’ve never had a pipe arrive damaged either.

Pipes are almost always shipped as one piece. This is far better for the pipe, particularly with climate changes during shipping.

Expect replies during normal business times. I reply as fast as I can, but if it’s the weekend or middle of the night, it may be a bit before I’m able to read and reply.

ABOUT RADIANT PIPES VINTAGE RESTORATIONS & CURATED BRIARS:

Due to a broken back and multiple injuries leaving me bed-ridden more than a decade, as well as raising a very awesome and brilliant special needs child, I had to be home 24/7. I took up restoration and pipe making as a hobby around 2019 to feel some satisfaction of work and to help fund some activities / therapies needed. This quickly turned into a full obsession and I’ve spent every day since working on, researching, making and enjoying pipes. I’m as much of an avid enthusiast as the best of them with serious PAD & TAD. This is not a profitable venture but it’s fulfilling and I really enjoy hearing the great response from you guys.

My margins are often very narrow for the amount of work, the cost of the item, seller fees, taxes etc. I barely break even annually doing this. I spend a lot of time deciding prices that are fair for both of us. I cannot reply to requests for discounts. If there is room, I will lower the price. If we have built a rapport, you know that I will do all I can to work with you though.

Many call cleaning a pipe “restored.” It hurts those of us that put years of time and effort into these. There are some great restoration artists out there. Sometimes the pipe just needs a detailing job. I don’t sell pipes that had any cracks or major issues. If I was to, it would be well described. (Like selling lots of pipes that didn’t meet my criteria etc)

I do this professionally, full time. When it says Restored, it is truly restored. Pipes that don’t need any restoration are detailed and waxed. I have spent almost single every day for years working on pipes and making them. My goal is that you get above and beyond what you expect.

*I COMBINE SHIPPING. Easy way: Add multiple items to cart and check out. It will apply discounts automatically. If you purchase multiples separately and I notice, I’ll refund any and all excess shipping costs.

I try to ship within 1-2 business days. If purchased on a Friday, I’ll ship Monday. Tuesday on very busy times but I try my best to get them out fast. USPS times can vary and it’s outside my control.

USPS DISCLAIMER: I have NO control on delays or knowing where a package is any more than you do with the tracking number. Sometimes USPS tracking doesn’t work but the pipe always shows up.

RETURNS:

If you’re not 100% happy, please let me know before filing any dispute or response. I’ll do everything I can to resolve the situation. It’s quite rare but I want you very happy with your purchase. Returns must be in the exact same condition as sent to you. If they’re smoked or damaged, I cannot accept it back. Buyer pays shipping back unless it is my mistake and I’ll cover all costs. Thanks so much for reading all of this if you got this far!! Best regards, Peter