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."