Barlings, by and large, are not especially elegant or refined; indeed, they were normally "plain" in the best sense of this term--well proportioned, classical, and impeccably executed. One might better call them "understated." But this particular piece comes rather close to elegance, with echoes of Comoy's more "continenental" approach to design. We note the beautifully shaped bowl, which hints at a forward cant on the long, oval shank, as well as the way in which the handcut taper bit extends and completes the shank's extension. I am inclined to attribute this to the enormous skill of the craftsmen who made the pipes in this period, having acquired their abilities in the course of long apprenticeship on the job.
We note that it is cut across the grain, with nice birdseye especially on the left side, and also surrounding the shank. The Barling cross has been lost to time and the buffing wheel, but there is no doubt of the originality of the handcut bit. The length of the pipe is that of an EXEXEL and in the post-war period, might well have received this designation. The bowl capacity, is that of a Group 4/EXEL.
I predict wonderful smoking properties from this fine six-decade old pipe, based upon its excellent internal engineering and the quality of the Algerian briar from which it is cut.
It remains in outstanding condition in all regards, though the stampings were much more delicately inscribed than in later pipes, with the result that the shape number is somewhat difficult to read. It is probably a home-market pipe, as there is no "Made in England," and indeed, I obtained it from a British collector.