London Clay Pipe Choker - Shorter Set B
London Clay Pipe Choker - Shorter Set B
Adjustable hemp cord necklace with beachcombed Victorian River Thames clay pipe stem.
Scroll for detailed photos of all the options in this set (F-J) and keep scrolling for a series of styling photos.
Select your style using the dropdown to add to basket — the photo of the selected style will show at the top of the page. There is only one quantity of each style.
MATERIALS.
Down by the River Thames at low tide you can beachcomb for various materials, one of which is the ubiquitous Victorian clay pipe. Cleaned up they become a historical amulet, each unique and unusual. The ones used in these necklaces were foraged from a patch by the Tate Modern.
The hemp cord is 1mm thick, 2 strand for strength, and lightly waxed with a corn and potato starch coating. It is produced in the UK, though origin of the hemp is unknown.
Note: the colour variations with the clay pipes are natural and should be taken as part of the charm.
SIZING.
The necklaces in this set are suitable for anyone with a head circumference of 55cm and under (they will fit more closely to the neck than the longer option).
The necklaces can be adjusted from a maximum 56cm length (a 28cm drop) to a minimum 33cm length, and so dependent on your neck width and desired look, you can adjust the necklace to be longer, mid-length or a choker.
Photos show examples of the lengths you could choose, and everything in between.
The clay pipes vary in diameter and length across all the listings, and so will be somewhere between: 14mm-43mm length / 20mm-29mm diameter.
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It's best to avoid getting this necklace wet due to the natural coating on the twine, and as hemp is a natural material could become mouldy and degrade more quickly if left moist. The clay pipe could also degrade more quickly if subjected to acid, which may be found in certain synthetic-based washing products. If in doubt, remove before you shower and swim.
Should the adjustable knots on the necklace come loose through use, you'll be provided with a link to a helpful video to repair it. As the pipe pendant is part of the necklace, an additional piece of hemp twine can be provided with your purchase for you to keep, so that you have a back up piece of cord (please let me know otherwise I won't waste the materials). Though I have tested the knots many times (also to help loosen them), wear and tear can open them up.
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The necklace will come wrapped only in tissue paper (acid free from sugarcane pulp) with a branded sticker to avoid unnecessary packaging. The can both be composted at home (or in roadside collection). You could recycle the paper, though bin the sticker.
The necklace will either come in a padded envelope for reuse or a slim cardboard letterbox.
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→ Clay pipe stem - essentially free but required foraging/cleaning time so given the cost of £1.50 based on online availability and effort
→ Hemp cord - 70cm = £0.112
→ Labour (approximately 8 minutes - selecting pipe, threading, knotting, checking) - £1.75 @ LLW £13.15/h
→ Packaging - £0.09
Cost price minus the foraging time = £3.45. Item price is with a x3.5 markup to cover labour, additional materials + overheads. -
Royal Mail Tracked 24 or 48 are available services for UK customers. Royal Mail International Tracked is otherwise used.
Returns are discretionary.
