Charatan’s Make Supreme, Lane Era Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them in their factories and workshops, Charatan made every part of their pipes on the Charatan premises. So began a legacy of high-quality pipe-making under the Charatan name, one whose employees, at one time or another, included Joel Sasieni, and Ken Barnes and Barry Jones of James Upshall fame.

This particular Charatan is from the Lane era, during which Charatan was acquired by Herman Lane and produced what are considered to have been Charatan’s best pipes. From the nomenclature, it can also be determined that this pipe is from what is sometimes known as the ‘first Lane era,’ between 1961-1965. It’s an interesting sitter shape, blending elements of the poker and the billiard, with a diamond shank that lends even more distinction to the design. It’s not the largest Charatan freehand I’ve handled, but it does have very thick bowl walls, which lend it some extra heft. As should be expected from a high-grade English pipe like this one, the straight grain around the bowl is tight, consistent, and generally magnificent.

The condition is very good. There are some scratches on the right side of the shank, but all in all the pipe is very well preserved.

 

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.85 / 21.59mm

Bowl Depth: 1.32″ / 33.52mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g