Ben Wade Danish Pride Freehand Estate Briar Pipe [SOLD OUT]

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’s many innovations might well have turned pipe-making on its head. In this instance, quite literally; while Sixten Ivarsson is credited with originating the practice of incorporating bare plateau into the rim of a pipe, Holm seems to have been the one to use plateau for a pipe’s base. So, while many freehands have a floral quality, where their shape opens up as it rises to a plateau rim, Holm created dazzling freehand volcanoes like this one i.e., the inverse. This Ben Wade also shows off Holm’s liking for blending finishes, with polished straight grain, sandblasted ring grain, and plateau are joined together in one extravagant composition.

The condition is great. There’s some rim darkening, but it is superficial.

 

Details:

Length: 6.4″

Bowl Width: 20.9mm

Bowl Depth: 2″

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g