Eells

Eells is the name given to handmade pipes bearing the signature of pipe maker John H. Eells, who worked in Richmond, Virginia, in the USA. In the years when freehand shapes were in vogue at American workshops, Eells remained committed to classic English forms; his distinguishing trait was interpreting these familiar shapes at larger-than-usual scale. He is also known for the support he gave his surroundings alongside his own bench: the Doctor of Pipes title, given to only two people each year, was awarded to Eells in 2011, and the award record cites him both for his mastery of shape and for his frequently being sought out as a guide by American makers. The master is no longer living.

Learning the Craft at Mincer's Shop

Eells's introduction to the craft came at Mincer's Pipe Shop, across from the University of Virginia campus. The shop's owner, Robert Mincer, was the brother of Custom-Bilt founder Tracy Mincer, and had settled in Charlottesville in the mid-1940s to start his own business. As a student, Eells bought his first quality pipe here in 1961: a small, fully bent Comoy's Tradition, chosen by Mincer himself. In 1968, returning to his studies, he took a part-time job at the same shop; he began with repair work and within a few years moved to carving under Mincer's supervision.

He did not come to this apprenticeship unprepared. Eells, who spent his childhood in the town of Walton in Delaware County, New York, began working as a jeweler's watch repairman at sixteen after his family moved to Charlottesville in 1958; these years spent with fine mechanisms laid the foundation for his manual precision. He studied at the University of Virginia from 1961 to 1963, took a break for three years of military service, and returned to Charlottesville in October 1966.

The Richmond Years and the CORPS Circle

After graduating in 1972, Eells began working at the Philip Morris facility in Richmond; over the following twenty-six years, access to machine shops there helped him develop his bench skills. His continued involvement in pipe making owes much to the Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers (CORPS) club, one of whose founders was Linwood Hines, and to the club's annual show, which brought him together with collectors and new makers — a debt Eells acknowledged himself. American makers such as Paul Bonaquisti and Michael Lindner cite Eells's guidance, in their own accounts, among the turning points early in their careers. Eells is also counted among the American makers noted for sandblast finishes.

Stamp and Code System

Eells marked his pipes using both a stamp and pantograph engraving. On first-line pipes, the shank carries the "EELLS U.S.A." stamp along with the handwritten "JH Eells" signature, while size, year, and shape information is engraved. The signature on the mouthpiece is also engraved: it is cut roughly 0.8 millimeters deep with a fine-pointed chisel and filled with white enamel.

The code engraved on the shank, in the pattern of "2 DCU H*," consists of a number, three letters, and a single letter, with an optional star at the end. The components carry the following information:

• The leading number indicates size, not quality. Records show the largest pipe the master made, exceeding thirty centimeters in length and ten centimeters in bowl height, falls into group 14.

• The first letter of the three-letter block gives the production year; the system begins with "A" for 1998 and the letters advance in order, so that "F" corresponds to 2003.

• The last two letters of the block indicate bowl and mouthpiece shape; "CU" denotes a standard billiard with a tapered mouthpiece. By 2004, the number of recorded shapes exceeded eighty.

• The standalone letter describes the surface; "H" corresponds to a black sandblast with red highlights.

• A star, if present, indicates the mouthpiece is made from a material other than black vulcanite; without a star, the mouthpiece is vulcanite.

The Poplar Ridge Line and the Ardor Connection

Because briar is a natural material, not every block comes out flawless: sand pits, fine cracks, or small drilling deviations are inherent to the work. Rather than discard pieces carrying such flaws — ones that do not affect the pipe's smoke or lifespan — Eells set them aside under the name "Poplar Ridge." Pipes in this line are made from the same briar as the first line; the shank is engraved "Poplar Ridge" and stamped with the "JH Eells" signature, while the mouthpiece carries the line's initials, "PRSP." The size, year, and shape information along with the "EELLS U.S.A." stamp do not appear on these pipes.

The master's name is also associated with "The John Eells Giant" shape, introduced by Monjure International, the US distributor for Italy's Ardor. According to reports, Eells's interest in large sizes influenced Ardor's production of oversized series, and a frequently requested large shape interpretation was subsequently offered under his name.