Ben Wade (Preben Holm) 7 Day Set, Danish Hand Model 100, Unsmoked

Description

Though he would tragically pass away at the age of 42, Preben 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. Even Herman Lane, owner of Lane Ltd. and Charatan during the 1960s and 1970s, was so impressed by Holm that he contracted the Danish artisan to carve pipes under his newly-acquired Ben Wade make, despite simultaneously stewarding the meteoric rise of English-made freehand pipes through Charatan). Today, Holm’s pipes remain highly sought-after, perhaps even more so than when he was still alive, to the extent that even the historic—and, originally, very English—Ben Wade name is difficult to separate from Holm’s work.

Tree heather root, otherwise simply known as “briar,” possesses almost unrivaled heat-resistant properties, which was to be a key factor in its adoption as the standard material for the construction of smoking pipes. But even briar needs to rest sometimes, hence why smokers are advised to accumulate at least a few pipes, so that when one is being used, the others can be allowed time to regain their composure in preparation for the next time they are called upon. In the 20th century, pipe companies capitalized on this practice of rest and rotation by creating the “7-day Set” to allow smokers to have a pipe for each day of the week from their favored make. These packages were limited in quantity and often marketed as special gifts for oneself or for the pipe-smoking loved one in your life. They were also—at least for the majority of the 20th century—traditional pipes from traditional makes, such as Comoy’s, Dunhill, Kaywoodie, or Sasieni. But, as time went on and as trends in pipe design and construction underwent significant changes in the decades following the Second World War, 7-day sets appeared from decidedly non-traditional pipe companies and artisans, albeit with even less frequency than their traditional counterparts. This collection from Preben Holm is a very rare example of a 7-day set from the legendary Danish artisan. Each is a freehand pipe—i.e., with its bowl having been hand-shaped against a sanding disk, rather than turned on a machine lathe—and each differs in form, with some approaching classical shapes, such as the pickaxe, the Dublin, or the acorn, and others eschewing these staples altogether. Crucially, where they are most alike—and where this set comes closest to many from traditional, factory makes—is that the pipes are of the “matched grain” variety, with each being from the Hand Model line and dressed in a uniform, golden-brown finish.

The pipes in this set are completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. They come in their original wooden presentation case. There is a small tear in the outer layer of the case (picture), for which the price has been slightly adjusted.