BEN WADE Selected Grain 56F (Made in Leeds, unsmoked)

England, 1930-60s

This is the oldest Ben Wade pipe we ever offered. It was made at the family Ben Wade production facilities in Leeds before 1965, when Herman G. Lane bought Ben Wade and Charatan’s businesses and moved production to London. However it could be very probably a pre WWII product: experts claim the model was represented in the 1930s catalogues. 

Speaking more detailed the pre WWII Ben Wade series were split into the three tiers: the highest grade stamped “Ben Wade” like our one (there were in descending order Ben Wade “Larnix” (Gold), Ben Wade “Larnix” (Silver), Ben Wade “Super Grain”, Ben Wade “Selected Grain”, Ben Wade “Walnut” and Ben Wade Standard), the middle grade stamped “B.W.” (B. W. “Natural Grain”, B.W. “Statesman”, B.W. “Club Special”, B. W. “County”, B.W. “Ambrosian”, B.W. “Virgin Briar”) and the lower grade “B.W.L.” (B.W.L. “Garrick”, B.W.L. “Hurlingham”, B.W.L. “Advent”, B.W.L. “Adelphi”, B.W. L. ” Tense Grain” etc). So our creature is an amazing example of the top grade Ben Wade production in Leeds. 

The pipe markings are “(BEN WADE) \ “SELECTED GRAIN””, “MADE IN LEEDS \ ENGLAND”, “56F”. The length is 13.6 cm (5.35″), and the bowl’s height is 3.2 cm (1.26″). External diameter of the bowl is 3.6 cm (1.42″), internal diameter is 2.0 cm (0.79″). The depth is 2.4 cm (0.94″) and this pipe weighs 25 gr. Briar, vulcanite stem, no filter. The stem is newly made of the fresh piece of vulcanite. The pipe is not smoked.