Reuben Era Charatan’s Make Supreme Smooth Canadian 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.

Over the course of the 20th century – particularly from the 1960s onward – Charatan’s grading system expanded to an almost absurd number of qualifications. But in the make’s early days, grading was simple: there was the Belvedere at the bottom, the Executive above that, then the Selected, and finally, at the very top, the Supreme. This happens to be one of those Supremes. In other words, and based on the stamping (which will be transcribed below), this is a rare, pre-1958, Reuben era Charatan, so-called because this was the period when Reuben Charatan owned and oversaw the running of the Charatan factory. This would situate the pipe somewhere between 1910 and 1960, though in this case the pipe is pre-1958 at least, due to the absence of a “MADE BY HAND” stamp. Looking at the pipe itself, it is not difficult to see why it received Charatan’s highest grade at the time. It is a perfectly turned Canadian, with straight grain covering its bowl and shank. It is also extremely lightweight, which is always a bonus.

The stamping reads:
CHARATAN’S MAKE
LONDON ENGLAND
SUPREME

The condition is great. There is some very minor over-reaming at the front lip of the bowl, but nothing major by any stretch.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.69 / 17.52mm

Bowl Depth: 1.48″ / 37.59mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 34g