Charatans Make Free Hand Relief Extra Large Estate Briar Pipe [SOLD OUT]

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.

While the freehand is a shape most often associated with Danish style pipe-making in the 1950s and 60s, on the other side of the North Sea, a rather different approach to freehand pipes took off at much the same time. This approach was concentrated in the high-end workshop of Charatan, which was at this time passing from the ownership of Reuben Charatan to Lane Ltd, with the latter’s stewardship being considered by many to encompass the make’s best years. Judging by the nomenclature, this pipe appears to have been carved during the early days of the Lane ownership, between 1961 and 1965. It is an aptly titled Extra Large, canted-Dublin style Free Hand in Charatan’s Relief sandblast finish. Its blast is wonderfully craggy and ring grained, and its chamber is voluminous, ensuring long, relaxing smokes.

The condition of the pipe is good. There is some rim darkening, and the vulcanite, Double Comfort stem has been professionally repaired by Briarville to fix a tooth indentation, but the pipe has many decades of life in it yet.

 

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 1.0 / 27.3mm

Bowl Depth: 1.9″ / 48.2mm

Weight: 2.4oz / 70g