Ben Wade (Preben Holm) Golden Walnut Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

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 good 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 Ben Wade freehands came in a variety of styles and finishes, and as such a vast array of separate lines. Some of these lines were subdivided into grades (such as the Nobel Prize) and some into groupings. The Golden Walnut was an example of the latter. Alongside the Golden Tan, Golden Matt, and Golden Grain, the Golden Walnut was a quintessentially Danish freehand, bearing a  warm, walnut contrast stain, as opposed to a matt contrast stain. The results speak for themselves, with this one’s flame grain almost bursting out of the finish.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. There is some minor, residual oxidation on the stem where the Ben Wade logo has been left unbuffed and therefore not effaced.

 

Details:

Length: 6.8″ / 172.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.97 / 24.63mm

Bowl Depth: 1.69″ / 42.92mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 52g