BBB

BBB is the pipe brand of Adolph Frankau & Co, founded in London in 1847. The brand's most familiar mark is three letters set inside a diamond-shaped frame; however, sources disagree on what the letters stand for. One reading holds that the initials belong to Louis Blumfeld, who headed the firm for many years (Blumfeld's Best Briars); in later generations the same mark was read as Britain's Best Briars, and collector sources also give the reading Best British Briar.

Because the stamp is thought to date to 1876, when the British trademark registry opened, BBB is referred to in pipe circles as "the first registered pipe brand." Since the registry's first entry belongs to a beer brand, this title is only a claim to priority within the pipe trade specifically; the record numbers themselves have also not been independently confirmed.

Founding and the Blumfeld Era

Adolph Frankau settled in London in 1847 and founded a business importing smoking accessories and meerschaum pipes. Louis Blumfeld, who joined the firm at fourteen, took over its management at just eighteen following Frankau's death in 1856. Under Blumfeld the sales network expanded into British Empire markets such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India; in Europe, Switzerland and Denmark became important buyers, and a branch was also operated in New York.

The need for production of its own in London became apparent at the turn of the century. The firm opened its factory in 1898 and, the following year, was formally registered as a pipe manufacturer and seller. In the same years a separate department was set up producing calabash pipes from gourds imported from South Africa; it is reported that while BBB used meerschaum for the bowl cup of these pipes, some competitors preferred plaster, or even asbestos. The supply of gourds always remained fragile, both because of the difficulty of cultivation and rising demand; interest did not return after the First World War, and the calabash left the catalog before the 1930s.