Trebor

Trebor is a British pipe brand that emerged in London at the start of the twentieth century and is today known less for its name than for the patent number it carries. The 6518/12 stamp seen on the shank marks a registration taken out in the name of Baron Cohen, owner of Baron & Co., which advertised itself in Piccadilly as a "cigarette specialist." The application was filed on March 16, 1912, and the registration was published on December 12, 1912.

What year the brand itself was founded is not known; the earliest firm date we have is this patent itself.

The Solution the Patent Brought

The subject of the registration is a cooling chamber opened into the shank. The extended end of the stem enters this chamber; instead of a single channel between chamber and bowl, there are two or more parallel holes. One opening at the tip of the stem draws in smoke, while a second opening lets condensed moisture drain into the chamber; the end of the chamber is closed with a screw plug, so that accumulated moisture can be cleaned out. The specification states the same mechanism could also be applied to cigar and cigarette holders. The purpose is twofold: to cool the smoke by lengthening the path it travels, and to keep moisture from reaching the mouth. Other British patents from the same period explored the idea of a multi-channel smoke path as well; the best known of these is the Falk patent. Stamping the patent number onto the pipe was common practice in those years, and it is considered today a clue useful for dating purposes.