Almost as long as there has been pipe smoking, we have had pipe tampers. A pipe tamper, sometimes referred to as a pipe stopper, is used to pack down the loose tobacco in the pipe bowl, to block the flow of air to extinguish a half-smoked pipe, and to crush the topping of ash before relighting the tobacco. In general, those with the smallest tamping ends are likely to be the oldest and larger tampers come from later dates. When tobacco was first introduced to Europe it was relatively scarce and pipes used for smoking were correspondingly small, in later years pipes were much larger and the bases of pipe tampers grew to fit the size of the 'modern' bowl.

No pipe tamper is earlier than the 17th century and to find a really early one is quite rare.

 

"In the tobacco-stopper alone was anything like taste or fancy displayed. This was the only article on which the English smoker prided himself. It was made of various materials - wood, bone, ivory, mother-of-pearl, brass, and silver; and the forms which it assured were exceedingly diversified." --Joseph Fume, 1839

 

Combination pipe tamper and cork screw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Georgian pipe tampers

 

Victorian Vesta match case

Birmingham hallmark 1908 Silver vesta match case - Maker T.H.H

Victorian Vesta match case

20thC lighter

 

Pill/tabacco/snuff box ?

Georgian lead tobacco jar lids with blackamore head finial

The lid is made of tin, with a lead finial. Like the pot, the painted decoration, though dulled by time and use, is still apparent. Circa 1790