Ben Wade Monte Verdi Rusticated Freehand Sitter Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

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.

When inspecting this large, freehand, Oom Paul sitter design, with its Lucite mount and stem and its stony texture, I was struck by something. That being that, over the years, I’ve handled countless Ben Wades from Preben Holm’s time making them, and the Monte Verdi are always the strangest. This is largely because, though they’re definitely Danish pipes, carved by a distinctly Danish maker, there’s something distinctly Italian going on with them. The name is clearly meant to evoke Italy, while the finish on the pipes is almost always the kind of rustication you’d find on something like a Savinelli Capri or Punto Oro Corallo or, in the case of this one, a mix of those finishes and Castello’s fumed Old Sea Rock. On the other hand, it works well, and despite leaning into that pipe-making tradition, you’re not going to find pipes just like these, mixing different national styles the way they do, anywhere else. I guess it speaks to the profound versatility of Preben Holm that he was one of the best Danish pipe-makers and perhaps also one of the best Italians—at least, spiritually.

-J.M.

The condition is very good. Some darkening and finish fading on the rim.

 

Details:

Length: 6.3″ / 160.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.98 / 24.89mm

Bowl Depth: 1.82″ / 46.22mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 56g