CHARATAN’S Make Free Hand Relief

December 11, 2015January 21, 2019

England, 1960s

A wonderful example of the Charatan’s art from the Lane era (1960s). The company competes with Dunhill not only in smooth pipes (the smooth Charatan’s was simply incomparable!) but also in the area of blasted (well, rusted and than blasted) pipes. One of the most successful products is Free Hand Relief. Like this one.

The pipe markings are “CHARATAN’S MAKE \ LONDON ENGLAND \ Free Hand Relief \ Extra Large”, “L”, “REGD № \ 203573”. The length is 15.7 cm, bowl’s hight is 5.0 cm. External and internal diameters of the bowl are 4.0 cm and 2.1 cm. The depth is 3.9 cm and this pipe weights 32 gr. Briar, vulcanite stem, no filter. The chamber has been protected with the break-in coat.

POLISH PIPES
R. KULPINSKI Bruyere 49
October 1, 2017December 28, 2018
5 Comments
Poland, 1980s A creature of the legend of Polish pipe carving art. Ryszard Kulpinski along with Ryszard Filar started at Walat brothers workshop in 1956 (!). Over the next decades Walat pipes were developed into a highly respected national brand (“walatowka”) despite all possible complications connected with the communist regime: lack of materials (first of…
Read More R. KULPINSKI Bruyere 49
CHARATAN'S
CHARATAN’S MAKE Selected 56
September 2, 2023September 2, 2023
England, 1950s This is a pipe from Charatan’s second-highest grade, just below the highest grade known as “Supreme.” It appears that this pipe was made before 1960, as the shape number is situated alongside the nomenclature on the left side of the shank, similar to how it was done on pipes from the “family era.”…
Read More CHARATAN’S MAKE Selected 56
... MORE DANISH
SUNALP
October 1, 2017September 26, 2022
Denmark, 1980s At first sight the pipe belongs to the “Danish Golden era” freehands among with Preben Holm, Karl Erik, Holtorp creatures. And the mpst probably, this first impression is correct – the nomenclature says “SANALP | HANDMADE \ DENMARK”. At the same time our investigations guided us to the US trademark “SUNALP” registered by…
Read More SUNALP
BEN WADE
BEN WADE Hand Model Roma
May 11, 2023May 11, 2023
This English-made Ben Wade Hand Model pipe is a unique and surprisingly effective piece. Its simple shape beautifully accents the fantastic birdseye grain on the left side of the bowl. The nomenclature corresponds to the Lane era times, but the stamping “ROMA” on the pipe is a bit unusual. Your thought regarding this would be…
Read More BEN WADE Hand Model Roma
BEN WADE DENMARK PREBEN HOLM
BEN WADE Golden Walnut
February 27, 2016January 20, 2019
Denmark, 1970s A wonderful freehand pipe made by legendary Danish artisan Preben Holm in 1970s. Initially Ben Wade was an old good English family manufactory. Soon after the WWII the brand was acquired by Lane Ltd from USA, the producer of fantastic Charatan’s pipes at that time. The new Ben Wade era (“Danish Ben Wade”)…
Read More BEN WADE Golden Walnut
DUNHILL PREBEN HOLM
PREBEN HOLM made DUNHILL Harcourt C
November 1, 2019November 1, 2019
Denmark, 1970s Such was the Dunhill’s responce to the increasing demand and constantly growing interest in freehand pipes in the 1970s. The Harcourt series has been sold through own Dunhill stores and a few of Dunhill’s dealers. The majority of the pipes were made by Preben Holm, during a short period Erik Nording made Harcourts…
Read More PREBEN HOLM made DUNHILL Harcourt C