Krisor

From Pipes, Artisans and Trademarks, by Jose Manuel Lopés'
GHK pipes are made by George Krisor, from Northern California. One of the particulars is he always stamps the weight in grams on the shanks of his pipes. Symbol: GHK in oval.
The following is from the late Tony Soderman, via George Saratsis:
This COLLECTIBLE BRIAR PIPE is an EXCEPTIONALLY RARE GILBERT HENRY KRISOR ("GHK") SQUARE SHANK 8-PANEL CANADIAN measuring OVER 6 1/2 LONG!!! Most would call it a "STRAIGHT GRAIN" QUAINT!!! In a large Dunhill Group 4 or Group 5 size, the "Panel" has ROUNDED WALLS (something usually only seen on older Kaywoodies and pre-Republic Petersons) and a FLAT BOTTOM so it is a "SETTER"!!! While most "GHK" ORIGINALs are completely smooth (perhaps with a Plateau Rim) this Canadian has two small, symmetrical rusticated areas giving the Pipe the "flavor" of a Barling "QUAINT"!!! It is one of the American Canadians included in my display at the Kansas City Pipe Show in 2003, which collectively received the award as "Best Pipe Collection of Show". GIL KRISOR Pipes are seldom seen on eBay, and this listing offers a GREAT OPPORTUNITY for some lucky collector to acquire an AMERICAN CANADIAN by an artisan from the "Days of Old" as "GHK" HANDMADE'sare rarely available anywhere!
Very few collectors are familiar with "GHK" Canadians and many out of those who recognize the circled initials mistakenly believe the maker's name was "Kaiser" or "George Krissor." Not so! GILBERT HENRY KRISOR was born and raised around Glenview, Illinois and worked in the automobile business. He retired and moved to Cameron Park, California where he pursued his hobby of pipemaking. Using primarily Greek Briar, he made his own stains and developed his own polishing techniques and soon his hobby became a commercial endeavor! His "signature" stamping were his initials ("GHK" WITHIN AN OVAL) and he was among the first American carvers to put "USA" on his pipes! In addition, he was known for putting the weight of each pipe in grams on the shank (although this Pipe is an exception and does not have that nomenclature). As his skills were recognized by local collectors, his pipes were carried in a few California pipe shops from which GHK Pipes found their way into the hands of movie stars, politicians, and other celebrities! (His family still has letters he received complimenting his craftsmanship from Anwar Sadat, Jack Lemmon and others!) A fine craftsman in many mediums, he also made suede and copper pipe racks, tampers and no doubt other accessories! He died in 1984 (survived by this wife of 64 years, Edna). But he left some truly exceptional pipes through which the World of Pipe Smorkers will remember him for decades to come!
Unfortunately for most pipe collectors, GHK Pipes are seldom found outside of California where Gil Krisor quickly became one of those "favorite sons" of California (along with Ken Erickson, Paul Perri, Mac McGuire, Sydney Ram and a handful of others) whose work was usually acquired by local pipesmokers. As a result, his reputation was not widely known beyond the West Coast!
During a comparatively short career spanning less than 20 years, Krisor made a relatively small number of pipes but all of them had certain features in common. First, they were ALL CANADIANS and almost all of them had aSQUARE SHANK so they were ALL "SETTERS"!!! The shapes and sizes of the bowls varied as did the overall length, so they either had no stamp for the length or an "L" FOR LONG (which IS in this Canadian) or "XL" for Extra Long. And, most Krisor pipes had the weight in grams on the shank!
Insuring his reputation among Canadian collectors, during his career, GIL KRISOR created two very similar and exceptional Magnum Cased Canadians with a 12 1/2" shank and 3 1/4" bowl!!! They were entitled "DAYS OF OLD" reflecting the passing of the days of readily available large, long briar which is an obvious prerequisite for making the Canadian shape. The two "DAYS OF OLD" Canadians were huge, long Bents each enclosed in their own a fitted, handmade wooden cases. Each case came complete with a Briar name plaque, brass and briar tamper, display stand, and a 16" flexible brass cleaning rod! Each part of the Cased Set was engraved with the name "Days of Old." One of the pipes was displayed for nearly 30 years at Dick Hardin's Carmel Pipe Shop in Carmel, California. The other is unaccounted for. Following Gil Krisor's death, his daughter went around to all the known pipe shops which carried his pipes, and she bought as many of his pipes as she could find as keepsakes. According to one shopkeeper, she was particularly troubled that one of the "Days of Old" sets slipped away from her.
While Krisor was alive, there was a long waiting list for his pipes. And, a generation after his passing, his pipes are rarely seen for sale on eBay or elsewhere. (There has been one other on eBay during the past year.) No one knows what happened to the pipes his daughter successfully re-acquired. But certainly, this listing presents a rare opportunity particularly suited for the collector of ULTRA RARE CANADIANS!
This GHK Canadian has GORGEOUS ERRATIC FLAME GRAIN around the entire PANELED BOWL - - - the king most eBay sellers would call "Straight Grain"!!! But notice how the FLAME GRAIN does straighten becoming VERTICAL PARALLEL STRAIGHT GRAIN along both sides of the SQUARE SHANK!!! Be sure to notice the visible DESIGN FEATURES! Besides the fine grain, this Krisor Handmade has two unusual features setting it apart from other GHK Canadians. First, the PANEL WALLS are ROUNDED or CURVED reflecting handwork seldom seen on any pipes (although old Kaywoodies through the early 1950s and Pre-Republic Petersons through 1949 typically had curved panel walls)! Second, there are TWO SYMMETRICAL RUSTICATED AREAS (one on the lower front of the bowl and the other in back) which give the Pipe the appearance of a Barling "QUAINT" (with the same delicate carving of most Quaints, too)! But some features are not readily apparetn. For example, the Shank is not only square but narrows toward the end, and the flat bottom makes it a "SETTER"!!! The square, tapered Shank has a HAND CUT TAPERED VULCANITE MOUTHPIECE! The Pipe is extremely lightweight and it is perfectly balanced. The workmanship is outstanding as the airhole is perfectly centered at the bottom back of the Tobacco Chamber, and the mouthpiece meets the shank with precision where it is a tight fit. Moreover, there are no apparent fills or flaws! In short, it is a remarkable pipe!
As the pictures reflect, this GHK Handmade remains in PRISTINE CONDITION with STRONG NOMENCLATURE!!!There are no chips, dents or scratches to detract from the LIGHT WALNUT SMOOTH FINISH. No varnish, lacquer or shellac has been used to enhance the photographs and temporarily fill scratches and toothmarks. And, NO coating has been applied to the inside of the bowl to conceal cracks, heat fissures or even burnouts.
This Canadian measures just OVER 6 1/2" LONG with a Bowl 2" TALL!!! The nomenclature is crisp and clear: "GHK [within an oval], L [for "Long"], SA, USA". It is an EXCEPTIONAL COLLECTIBLE especially for the connoisseur of ULTRA RARE American-made pipes or the collector of RARE and USUAL CANADIANS!!!
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Category: Pipe makers by nationality
Category: United States