Ben Wade Danish Hand Model 100 Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe

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 well as they smoked. Owing to Holm’s untimely passing, his pipes are even more highly sought after than they were during his lifetime.

I’m a big fan of Preben Holm’s work, and I’ve seen hundreds of his freehands over the years, but this one has a distinct charm to it. I think it’s because the shape, while certainly being a freehand, does nonetheless retain something of a traditional shaping. The closest I can think of are some of Horry Jamieson’s Unique pipes, made by the English carver for GBD, or Ed Burak’s Connoisseur make. This one might be called a calabash of sorts, or perhaps a saxophone. There’s plenty of flame grain around the bowl and bird’s-eye patterns on the rim, which are all nicely accentuated by the pipe’s golden brown stain.

The condition is excellent. A hair of darkening on the inner back lip of the rim, perhaps, but nothing significant to note.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.98 / 24.89mm

Bowl Depth: 1.8″ / 45.72mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 66g