Ben Wade (Leeds Era) Adelphi 42 Smooth Bent Billiard (Estate)

Ben Wade was founded, as might be expected, by Leeds-based English pipe merchant Benjamin Wade in 1860. Soon after, Wade opened his own workshop to produce quintessentially British pipes. As one of the first makes to create pipes from briar, Ben Wade has a special place in pipe history, one only made more special by the famously high-quality of their output.

When you trade in estate pipes, most of the Ben Wades you see are actually Charatans or Preben Holms. In other words, most pre-owned Ben Wade pipes in circulation today were made by Charatan, where the make was used as a sub-brand for Charatan pipes, or in the workshop of Preben Holm, where the make was used for Danish freehand pipes. Both uses can be traced back to Herman Lane’s veritable tobacco empire Lane Ltd., which acquired Ben Wade in the early 1960s and contracted Holm in the early 1970s. But before Lane Ltd. entered the picture, Ben Wade was a venerable make in its own right, producing what were likely the most well-regarded pipes in the north of England.

This particular Ben Wade comes from the make’s pre-Lane, “Leeds era,” of production and, as one would expect, is distinctly classical in form and proportions. A combining a swan-necked, 3/4 bent figure with a slight and delicate stature, it’s a lovely little window into the world of early Anglo-French briars, right down to its orific button.

The condition is good. Some handling marks and slight scratches on the bowl, and faded (though legible) nomenclature.

Details:

Length: 5.4″ / 137.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm

Bowl Depth: 1.50″ / 38.1mm

Weight: 1.0oz / 30g