Ben Wade Danish Hand Model 100 Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates [SOLD]

Description

While Ben Wade was a historic British pipe brand, for a time during the 1970s, production of Ben Wade pipes was contracted out to one of Danish pipe-making’s superstars: Preben Holm. Though he would tragically pass away at the age of 42, Holm was one of the pioneering figures in the ‘Danish design’ movement in 20th century pipe-making, a movement that still dominates the high-grade pipe scene. By hand-shaping his pipes on a belt sander, Holm was able to make the most of the patterns of grain hidden within briar, creating spectacular works of pipe art that looked just as good as they smoked. Owing to Holm’s untimely passing, his pipes are even more highly sought after than they were during his lifetime.

The Preben Holm workshop was nothing if not versatile. Some pipes were quite traditional in style (the Traditional models, for example); others were more organically-inspired compositions (such as many of the Prominence and Designer models). This particular pipe from Holm’s workshop is, however, expressive of an aesthetic that is quintessential for the Danish freehand pipe. It is bold, sharp, and almost aggressive in its shaping, yielding a thoroughly assertive design. It also wears a deep, ring grain sandblast that further adds to its rugged profile.

The condition is good. The pipe was clearly a faithful companion to its previous owner, resulting in a build-up of inner rim darkening. On the other hand, it is a pipe that is aesthetically and functionally rough-and-ready, so I wouldn’t worry about this too much.

 

Details:

Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm

Bowl Width: 1.00 / 25.44mm

Bowl Depth: 1.7″ / 43.18mm

Weight: 2.4oz / 70g