William Gillette Rare
Sherlock Holmes’ Pipe – or Was It?
I’m sure we’ve all seen the famous calabash pipe, favoured by Sherlock Holmes. You know, the curly calabash with it’s distinctive shape? It’s just as much a part of Sherlock Holmes as his deerstalker hat and magnifying glass.
The original calabash pipes are made from the calabash gourd. The African variety is regarded as the best to use, as the European (usually Greek) calabash gourds rarely have the right shape favoured by the pipe makers.
The main part of the calabash pipe is the top, bent stem of the African calabash gourd. The actual bowl, in which the tobacco is smoked, is an insert, often of meerschaum or porcelain. Which is inserted into the hollowed out gourd stem, with the aid of a cork gasket.
A ferrule, of wood, or plastic, or other suitable material, is inserted into the narrow part of the gourd stem. This is to take the bent vulcanite pipe stem which is the part which goes into the mouth of the smoker. If that stem were to be inserted directly into the gourd there would be a good chance of cracking or breaking it.
Some calabash pipes are decorated with silver bands, even a silver cover around the top of the bowl. So we can see that these pipes are pretty labour-intensive. Making them expensive these days.
Calabash pipes smoke cooler and drier than many other types of pipe, because it’s construction means that the smoke passes from the bottom of the actual smoking bowl into the empty space of the gourd beneath, which takes away a lot of the heat and strength of the smoke.
Now, where Sherlock Holmes comes in. The construction of the calabash pipe gives it a low centre of gravity. This allows the smoker to easily hold the pipe in the mouth alone. Actors would take advantage of this property, as it allowed them to depict their character smoking a pipe while leaving the hands free for other “business”. Think of Basil Rathbone and William Gillette, who both played Sherlock Holmes.
In fact Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never actually wrote of Sherlock Holmes smoking a calabash pipe, and Sidney Paget in his illustrations usually had Holmes smoking a long-stemmed (churchwarden) pipe.
We know that Sherlock Holmes himself preferred very strong, harsh tobacco, and would probably never have given the calabash the time of day, due to it’s mellowing effect upon the smoking mixture.
About the Author
Chris Haycock is a real fanatic about early detective fiction. Having been hooked as a young boy. He has amassed a large collection of early detective/mystery novels. A particular favourite is Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. If you are also a fan, or just want to know what the fascination is, why not go now to http://www.sherlockandwatson.com
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*WILLIAM GILLETTE RARE 1898 ENGLISH PROGRAM* $40.00 |
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*WILLIAM GILLETTE RARE 1898 SECRET SERVICE PROGRAM* $39.99 |
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*WILLIAM GILLETTE RARE 1901 LONDON SHERLOCK HOLMES PHOTO* $75.00 |
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A Legal Wreck by Gillette, William [Paperback] $33.09 This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfectionssuch as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed worksworldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ A Legal Wreck William Gillette Rockwood, 1888 Author: Gillette, William Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 318 Publication Date: 2011/09/07 Language: English Dimensions: 9.69 x 7.44 x 0.66 inches |
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Signed William Perry Mini Helmet – Rare GAI $75.13 Signed William Perry Mini Helmet – Rare GAI William Perry Chicago Bears Rare Signed Mini Helmet GAIEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee. |
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William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes 24×36 Giclee $72.56 Series: Sherlock HolmesArtist: UnknownPeriod: Source country: USASource Year: 190024 inch by 36 inch Giclee print on standard paper.All files are stored digitally and are ready for reproduction. The quality is closely monitored to ensure professional results.This item is custom made per order. |
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William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes 12×18 Giclee On Canvas $77.63 Series: Sherlock HolmesArtist: UnknownPeriod: Source country: USASource Year: 190012 inch by 18 inch Giclee print on Canvas.All files are stored digitally and are ready for reproduction. The quality is closely monitored to ensure professional results.This item is custom made per order. |
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William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes 28×42 Giclee On Canvas $428.79 Series: Sherlock HolmesArtist: UnknownPeriod: Source country: USASource Year: 190028 inch by 42 inch Giclee print on Canvas.All files are stored digitally and are ready for reproduction. The quality is closely monitored to ensure professional results.This item is custom made per order. |
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Gillette $18.31 No Synopsis Available |
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William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes: Farewell to the Stage 24×36 Giclee $72.56 Series: Sherlock HolmesArtist: UnknownPeriod: Source country: USASource Year: 24 inch by 36 inch Giclee print on standard paper.All files are stored digitally and are ready for reproduction. The quality is closely monitored to ensure professional results.This item is custom made per order. |
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William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes: Farewell Appearance 24×36 Giclee $72.56 Series: Sherlock HolmesArtist: UnknownPeriod: Source country: USASource Year: 24 inch by 36 inch Giclee print on standard paper.All files are stored digitally and are ready for reproduction. The quality is closely monitored to ensure professional results.This item is custom made per order. |