A Complete Guide to Collecting Antique Pipes (A Schiffer Book for Collectors) [Paperback]

Ben Rapaport (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Schiffer Book for Collectors | Publication Date: May 1998

This is the first American book to consider the history and development of the tobacco-smoking pipe as an art form and is an illustrated guide for pipe collectors. Here the author has assembled fact and fancy, history laced with humor, and a chronological collection of pipes. The accompanying text explains pipe styles, materials, and values. Besides present-day briars and corn cobs, pipes can be found made of meerschaum, porcelain, ivory, amber, silver, gold, semi-precious stones and rare woods. Craftsmen have combined imagination, whim, and fantasy to create pipes of fine artistic value.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ben Rapaport has been an avid pipe collector for more than twenty years and is the author of A Tobacco Source Book (1972). His interest has led him to acquire a great library for tobacco research, which he shares in the form of a chapter of recommended reading. Included are his suggestions for repairs and restoration to pipes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Pub Ltd; Revised edition (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764305964
• ISBN-13: 978-0764305962
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #986,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #36 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Popular Culture

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars General pipe collecting, August 9, 2006

By 

Mr. Michael J. Mckelvie - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Complete Guide to Collecting Antique Pipes (A Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Paperback)

Ben Rapaport has achieved supplying a valuable book for the average pipe collector which covers a wide spectrum of pipe styles. Personally this book will spend a lot of time travelling the world with me.
M McKelvie

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellant Overview of Collecting Pipes and Pipe History, May 13, 2010

By 

Rough Customer (on your six) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Complete Guide to Collecting Antique Pipes (A Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Paperback)

I got the hardback, older 1979 first edition of this book, which is a little larger physically than the new 1998 paperback book, the hardback measures about 7.5"x10.5" and has the same 256 pages as the paperback. The book is excellant, and has mainly black and white photographs, and a section 4 pages of color plates. The information covered is the standard pipe types, clay, porcelain, metal, wood, as well as pipes of various cultures, African, Native American, European, Asian, etc. There is a lot of great information, from restoration of old pipes, and a dandy bibliography that can take you to additional older books on pipes and pipe history and collecting. The portion of the book devoted to clays is really outstanding, showing a lot of great variety in clays that existed, and some of the photos of meerschaums are breathtaking! Highly recommend this book if you collect old pipes, or are interested in old smoking pipes.