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The history of the brand reaches back to 1812 when Benjamin Barling began to sell meerschaum pipes decorated with silver bands. The company was sold by the Barling family to Imperial Tobacco Co in 1962. From this date the Barling pipes quality was as changing as the countries in which they were manufactured.
England

Up to 1960: Pre-transition period. The production was controlled by the Barling family
1961-66: Transition period:
from 1967: Post-transition period:

See also: BB&S , Cragmoor, Londoner

Soupirail Soupirail

1921 Hallmark

Pre-transition period

(Left side) Barling (Arched) Make
(On silver band) E.B, W.B (E.B = Edward Barling W.B = William Barling)

(Hallmarks) [f] [Lion] [Leopard head]

The date letter [f] (see enlarged view) corresponds to a piece verified by Assay Office London in 1921 according to the document below.

Straight Grain

Pre-transition period

(Left side) BARLING'S (Arched) Make, Ye Olde Wood, Straight Grain

(On stem) REG# 754068

Guinea Grain

Pre-transition period

(Left side) Barling (Script), Guinea Grain Reg, EB
(Right side) Made in England, EL
The Barling cross has been partly rubbed away.
The Guinea Grain series of Barling pipes were the only pipes of the pre-transitional period that had "Barling's" stamped in script.
EB: Edward Barling
EL: Size
Compare with a "modern" Guinea Grain.

# 86

Pre-transition period

(Left side)

BARLING'S (Arched) Make, Ye Olde Wood, 86
(Right side) Made in England, ExEL

Oddly, the shape numbre of this pipe has only two digits.
Barling's size codes: SS, S, S-M, M, L, EL, EXEL, EXEXEL, and G. There is also LF and LLF denoting Long Flat, and Long Long Flat.

Pipe shop stampings

Pre-transition period

(Right) BARLING'S (Arched) MAKE 1946
(Left) FREDK. TRANTER PIPE SHOP. BATH, EXEL
A lot of Barlings pipes from this period were distributed to pipe shops (here: Tranter Pipe Shop) and department stores in the British Isles.

Perspex stem

Pre-transition period
The brand's name as logo

Shank: BARLING'S (arched over) MAKE, Ye Olde Wood, EXEXEL Fossil, Made in England, T.V.F.
Mouthpiece: [Barling cross logo] REGD 98046. PERSPEX (Acrylic) stem
Perspex was originally patented in Canada in 1934. This translucent acrylic material may be cleaned with alcohol.

Pipes sold in England

Pre-transition period

(Left side)

Barling (Arched over) Make, Ye Olde Wood, 1128

(Right side) Made in England

"The only four-digit number that denotes a Pre-Transition piece begins with "1" which was used for pipes sold in England. Any other four-digit Barling pipe is a transition piece."
From: Tad GAGE, (2000) "Mysterious Barlings", In Pipes and Tobaccos, Volume 5, No. 1 (p. 44)

Garnet Grain

Post-transition period

BARLING London England Garnet Grain, 9053

Iffy TVF

Post-transition period

(Left side) Barling, 5109, London England
(Right side) T.V.F (The Very Finest)
The "T.V.F." stamping overlaps the junction

Alternative stem marking

Post-transition period

Barling, London England, 1588

Modern Guinea Grain

Post-transition period

B. Barling & Sons, Guinea Grain, 4085, Made in Denmark

Vintage

Post-transition period

(Left side) Vintage 1812, By Barling
(Right side) Made in London, England, 472S
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