Oldenkott Model and Shape Numbers

Oldenkott model and shape numbers form a two-layer coding scheme used to tell which product family a pipe from the German factory in the town of Rees, Lower Rhine, belongs to, and which mold it came from. In the firm's own documents these product families are called "qualities"; among collectors they are commonly known as "models." Identifying a pipe generally requires looking at both: the name on the shank tells which series it belongs to, and the number beside it tells its shape.

Model Names

Records list more than forty model names. Some are names evoking rank and prestige — Aristocrat, Diplomat, Konsul, Royal, Empire; some are names of precious stones — Rubin, Saphir, Smaragd, Diamant; and geographic names such as Atlantic, Toscana, Patras, Skagerrak, Oxford, and Kensington form another group. Names such as Standard, Prima, Special, Supra, and Excelsior more often indicate the quality tier.

The model name is not always printed alongside the brand stamp. In some series, such as Eminent, Excellent, Excelsior, and Maxim, examples are known where only the model name is struck; this means an otherwise unidentifiable pipe has to be tracked through its shape number. Some series were made specifically for wholesalers: the names Ermuri and Maxim appear this way in records. In the Derby series, the stamp is seen struck sometimes with just the model name, sometimes together with the brand as "Derby by Oldenkott."

The 1973 Catalogue's Breakdown

According to collector records, a catalogue dated 1973 divides the products into sections and shows, for each, which models were offered under which shape numbers. The catalogue itself has not been confirmed by an independent archival record; the breakdown below rests on this compilation.

The section called Special covers a broad set of models — Atlantic, Champion, Commodore, Derby Luxe, Oxford, Toscana, and Tradition — with shape numbers running from two-digit figures to three-digit sequences. The Exclusiv section is divided into narrower clusters: the 300s for Rubin, the 600s for Eminent, Excellent, Excelsior, and Skagerrak, and the 700s reserved for Calumet and Cavalier, designed for use in cars. The Fair Play section contains only a handful of numbers.

In the same compilation, numbers in some sections are further split between smooth (polished) and sandblasted surfaces. The group known as Nicofry is a good example: records place smooth examples in the 513–524 range and sandblasted ones in 531–542. Since the Nicofry name appears in the breakdown both as a product name and in the column indicating filter type, it is thought to point to a filter mechanism; this inference has not been confirmed from an independent source.

Using the Numbers

Shape numbers are consistent within the brand but not universal: the same number corresponds to an entirely different mold at another manufacturer. There are also cases within Oldenkott where the same number appears across more than one model; 13, 78, and 204 lead this list. For this reason a number alone is not considered sufficient to identify a pipe — it should be read together with the model name.

The lists compiled by collectors are incomplete, and some matches await confirmation. Even so, the list is a useful starting point for roughly dating a briar-bodied Oldenkott pipe and estimating which series it belongs to. For the brand's general history, see the Oldenkott entry; for the general logic behind naming molds, see the classic pipe shapes entry.