Need Silvermark ID - Looks American, from a smoking pipe

[steinlinks]

I sifted through all the American hallmarks and many foreign - found some that were close but no cigar. Searched the internet too with no avail. It is on a silver shank band off a smoking pipe. This hallmark features American type symbols with an anchor first leaning on an angle (in an octagon) , second is a star (in a circle), and the third a bald eagle like the one on the American seal (in an octagon). Thanks for any help with identifying this silversmith!
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[admin]

Any marks on the pipe itself?
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[2209patrick]

I believe those are psuedo marks on the band.
Pipe manufacturers who put sterling silver bands on their pipes almost always mark the band with their name or trademark. There is a good reason for this. They don't want people thinking this is a repair band.

The shank of a pipe is the most fragile part. It often cracks slightly where the tenon of the stem goes into the mortise of the shank. A repair band is then slid onto the shank over the crack. These repair bands are usually made of nickel. I've repaired a lot of briar pipes in my time.

Does your band tarnish like silver? If not, it's nickel.



Pat.
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[steinlinks]

Thank you for your help, it is much appreciated. There is a mark on the band that reads WDC. I know it is an American pipe making company, but the hallmarks with it made me believe the pipe was made by the WDC company and the silver came from a silversmith. If the silver came from WDC as well, is there a guide to dates or purity that WDC goes by and these symbols represent?

Thanks!
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[admin]

If the silver came from WDC as well, is there a guide to dates or purity that WDC goes by and these symbols represent?

Not on this site or anywhere that I know of. Perhaps a pipe forum would be your best bet to get the information.
Regards, Tom
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[2209patrick]

WDC stands for Wlliam Demuth & Company. They were inexpensive pipes.



Pat.
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