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

Preben Holm was famous for his ability to ‘read’ the grain of any given block of briar, and he knew that a key part of reading grain is knowing which finishes should be applied, and where. Growth rings respond well to sandblasting, and outward striations benefit from being left smooth and polished. This Ben Wade blends finishes accordingly; straight grain and ring grain are positioned side by side in a patchwork of sights and textures, resulting in something as interesting to behold as it is to -well – hold.

The condition is good. There’s some rim darkening, but given the pipe’s rugged overall aesthetic, I wouldn’t call this a major problem.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.99 / 25.14mm

Bowl Depth: 1.67″ / 42.41mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 60g