Krisor (GHK)

Krisor is an American handmade pipe brand that worked in Northern California; its pipes are stamped with the letters "GHK" set inside an oval. The maker's name does not agree across sources: José Manuel Lopés, who compiled pipe provenance, records the brand's owner as George Krisor, while collector accounts give the name Gilbert Henry Krisor. Since the stamp itself is not easy to read, the signature circulated for a long time under mistaken names such as "Kaiser" and "Krissor."

Stamp and Provenance

The most easily recognized feature of GHK pipes is the weight information stamped on the shank: the maker stamped the weight of that piece in grams on almost every pipe. Since this is not a habit widespread in either workshop production or mass production, this figure is considered the distinguishing mark of the Krisor signature. Length information also entered the stamp: standard-sized examples carry no length letter, longer ones are stamped "L," and even longer ones "XL." According to accounts, Krisor is among the first American makers to put the mark "USA" on his pipes.