Old clay smoking pipe found I believe it’s 1600’s if anyone can help thanks !
- Thread starter Jimbob86
- Start date
Red-Coat
Gold Member
Good find. You can get a reasonable date from the bowl shape. as per this illustration:
I also provided this information on another thread a while ago, that helps confirm possible dates of imported pipes (that one will be an import) because bowl shape/size alone will not always tell you:
One interesting thing about clay pipes is that the diameter of the hole in the stem progressively decreases as the pipes become more recent. Probably because stem lengths were progressively decreasing. Although only 'verified' for pipes originating from Britain, it does at least provide some indication of date for clay pipes in general. Building on work by J. C. Harrington in the 1950s (he examined thousands of pipe stems excavated at Jamestown and other colonial Virginia sites) Louis Binford later devised a mathematical formula from which he derived the following table (the cut-off dates are of course not absolute):
9/64" bore dates to 1590-1620
8/64" bore dates to 1620-1650
7/64" bore dates to 1650-1680
6/64" bore dates to 1680-1720
5/64" bore dates to 1720-1750
4/64" bore dates to 1750-1800
The easiest way to check the bore is with set of small steel drill bits. Carefully insert the bits into the stem hole until you find one that fits exactly.
PS: Welcome to T-net
I also provided this information on another thread a while ago, that helps confirm possible dates of imported pipes (that one will be an import) because bowl shape/size alone will not always tell you:
One interesting thing about clay pipes is that the diameter of the hole in the stem progressively decreases as the pipes become more recent. Probably because stem lengths were progressively decreasing. Although only 'verified' for pipes originating from Britain, it does at least provide some indication of date for clay pipes in general. Building on work by J. C. Harrington in the 1950s (he examined thousands of pipe stems excavated at Jamestown and other colonial Virginia sites) Louis Binford later devised a mathematical formula from which he derived the following table (the cut-off dates are of course not absolute):
9/64" bore dates to 1590-1620
8/64" bore dates to 1620-1650
7/64" bore dates to 1650-1680
6/64" bore dates to 1680-1720
5/64" bore dates to 1720-1750
4/64" bore dates to 1750-1800
The easiest way to check the bore is with set of small steel drill bits. Carefully insert the bits into the stem hole until you find one that fits exactly.
PS: Welcome to T-net
Last edited:
ARC
Gold Member
- Aug 19, 2014
- 37,281
- 131,724
- Detector(s) used
- JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Good info RC.
glass half fool
Bronze Member
- Jul 17, 2017
- 1,043
- 1,872
- Detector(s) used
- White 5900DiPro
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Red Coat I found a clay pipe several years ago .I never knew there was a way to age one that was read simple By using your advice with the drill bits I determined the one i found was from the 1750 to 1800 era .While mine is not as old as most others ,The age adds another bit of information to the area that am studying Thanks for posting that
Last edited:
Jimbob86
Jr. Member
- Thread starter
- #5
Hello thanks for the info that has really helped, I’m going to go back and try and find the rest of the stem and I will get the drill bits out tomorrow and let you know the results! Also It was found in the uk just outside of London !Is this an American site or global ? And Thank you for the Welcome
Red-Coat
Gold Member
Ah... since the majority of frequently-posting members here are from the other side of the pond, I wrongly assumed that you were too... particularly with the 'Jimbob' moniker.
It's very much a global site, so it always helps if you say where an item was found and adding your location to your profile is a useful reminder to other members that your spell-checker hasn't adopted any charming interpretations of our English spelling.
Welcome again (from another Brit).
Professor of Engineering
Gold Member
Very nice personal relic recovery, congrats! 
Jimbob86
Jr. Member
- Thread starter
- #8
Hello thanks all and thanks red coat your info has been invaluable the hole is slightly larger than 3mm so it prob 8 or 9/64 and by the bowl shape I would say 1640-70 then with the stem size probably the earlier part of that range is my guess what do you all think ?
As for jimbob ha I never really thought of it but I suppose it is quite American it was just a Knick name I inherited at work (roofers) !!!
I’ve cleaned it up a bit an hopefully a better photo would love to hear what everyone thinks thanks again what a brilliant website wish I’d found it earlier
As for jimbob ha I never really thought of it but I suppose it is quite American it was just a Knick name I inherited at work (roofers) !!!
I’ve cleaned it up a bit an hopefully a better photo would love to hear what everyone thinks thanks again what a brilliant website wish I’d found it earlier
Attachments
Red-Coat
Gold Member
That's a nice find and I agree with your dating. You could pretty reliably put it around 1640-1650 plus or minus a bit.
CRUSADER
Gold Member
I help with all the local archaeological digs in the area. With your future detecting skills your be an asset, as they have little interest or training in metal detectors.
So if you want to get involved it's easy.
If your not alreay using google earth to find ancient sites, you need to download it & look for crop-marks on every date on the timeline. (some years are better than others)
I've now discovered nearly 50 Roman Sites, some known by the Arkies, many not. I work so closely with their community we have done our own digs.
Last edited:
sandchip
Silver Member
- Oct 29, 2010
- 4,351
- 6,871
- Detector(s) used
- Teknetics T2SE
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
We'd all be in a fix if it weren't for roofers like yourself. Thanks for what you do. Great and beautiful find!
Jimbob86
Jr. Member
- Thread starter
- #14
Thanks crusader I’m going to start looking I have watched some historical programs where they use google earth type technology to discover new sites. I just assumed it was beyond the tec of google earth but now I know I will be looking. Are you local to me then ? Thanks again any info or other things I can join please send me info it really was my love as a child I just messed around at school and didn’t achieve my potential now 16 years later still regretting it !!
sandchip
Silver Member
- Oct 29, 2010
- 4,351
- 6,871
- Detector(s) used
- Teknetics T2SE
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I'm grateful because I've done it and every other phase of residential construction before starting my own sign business nearly 40 years ago. People that haven't done something like that take it for granted and have no idea the toll it takes on the body through the years. Ever hear 'em say, "You make it look so easy."? They don't realize that proficiency doesn't come easy.
Still loving that pipe. Found my first intact one earlier in the year. When RedCoat told me it dated 1800-1840, it really made my day. Big deal in my area. I can't imagine finding anything from the 1600s.
PetesPockets55
Bronze Member
- Apr 18, 2013
- 1,651
- 2,914
- Detector(s) used
- AT MAX & Carrot, Nokta Pulse Dice (:
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Nice find! Congratulations and welcome!
Well said and this reminds me of an episode of the Acorn series "The Detectorist". A great series on humor, life, and "even" detecting (even if it seemed a little hurried towards the end of the series).
The episode where the tall skinny one, without all "the credentials", wins a position on an African(?) dig because of his passion, by finding a pipe(?) on the grounds where the interview was held.
Well said and this reminds me of an episode of the Acorn series "The Detectorist". A great series on humor, life, and "even" detecting (even if it seemed a little hurried towards the end of the series).
The episode where the tall skinny one, without all "the credentials", wins a position on an African(?) dig because of his passion, by finding a pipe(?) on the grounds where the interview was held.
Top Member Reactions
-
2306 -
1113 -
1037 -
899 -
838 -
770 -
754 -
736 -
606 -
508 -
490 -
477 -
447 -
420 -
399 -
398 -
O
398
-
394 -
384 -
376
