Ben Wade (Preben Holm) Danish Hand Model 200 XL Smooth Freehand 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.

Though I’m not entirely convinced that Preben Holm knew what a “hand model” was when the “Danish Hand Model” line was conceived, I’m happy to let that slide given that these pipes were just about beautiful enough to strut down a catwalk. Perhaps they were Hand Models because one’s hand would be the metaphorical “clothing” draped lovingly over them. Who knows. This one is among the finest I’ve seen from that line, with the level of tight, “angel hair” straight grain that I’m more used to from his Nobel Prize, Private Collection or, at the very least, his “Straight Grain” sub-grades. The design is also lovely. It’s a freehand, that’s for certain, but it’s somewhat less aggressively shaped than many of Holm’s pipes, being instead more like a slightly asymmetrical acorn, with its signature assertiveness contained to its plateaux rim and shank end. It’s also a very large pipe, with a chamber that should satisfy for well over an hour, provided one maintains a properly relaxed cadence.

The condition is great. There’s some minor inner rim darkening and ever so slight tooth chatter, but the pipe does not appear to have seen much use. Perhaps it was treated as a display piece for its previous owner. I wouldn’t blame them.

 

Details:

Length: 7.2″ / 182.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.95 / 24.13mm

Bowl Depth: 1.98″ / 50.29mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g