Charatan’s Make (Reuben era) 490 Sandblasted Dublin 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.

So-called Reuben era, or Reuben’s era, Charatan pipes are those made before the early 1960s, in the period when Reuben Charatan owned and oversaw F. Charatan and Son. Reuben was a pioneering figure in English pipes, and was indeed a master pipe-maker himself, spending his days split between managerial duties and turning bowls on the Charatan factory floor alongside his employees. While the Reuben era stretched from 1910 to the early 1960s, Charatan pipes from this period are quite uncommon, especially ones that are in good condition. This one is a sandblasted, large (for the time) example of Charatan’s many, iconic Dublin designs, the Dublin being Reuben Charatan’s favorite shape.

The condition is great. The finish is crisp, the stem free from tooth marks. I’m not sure whether the rim was originally a lighter shade than the sandblast around the rest of the stummel, or whether it has simply faded over time. Either way, it’s a fantastic specimen.

 

Details:

Length: 5.7″ / 144.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.92 / 23.36mm

Bowl Depth: 1.78″ / 45.21mm

Weight: 1.3oz / 38g