John Center pipes are uncommon, but this is the second coccuswood Center set to became available here in recent months. Many vintage aficionados consider John Center one of the greatest pipemakers, ranking in both tone and craftsmanship along with Duncan MacDougall, David Glen and Henry Starck. He made pipes in Edinburgh from 1869 to 1908, moving with his son James to Melbourne in the last few years of his life.

He favoured cocuswood as the material of choice for his sticks. His pipes are superbly crafted, and display a refined, buzzy tone about half way been the more robust MacDougall and the subdued Glen. The bass is full and dominant, and the pipes are very steady.

This set is all original and has no major damage to the wood. There is some spider cracking in a couple of the ivory pieces, and one ring and one projecting mount are cracked slightly open, but are still solid and unmoving. The set needed no work or refinishing. The two pieces of cracked ivory could be filled, but there was no reason to, and the fill would likely be more visible than the cracks.

This set is a great example of the work of one of the 19th-centuries great pipemakers..