Ben Wade (Preben Holm) Heather Smooth Freehand (Estate)

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.

Many of Preben Holm’s pipes—including those he made for Lane Ltd.’s Ben Wade—had interesting names, ones that often pointed toward their underlying theme, or their rank in Holm’s portfolio. The Golden Walnut, for example, was a pipe with a golden contrast finish; the Designer was a Danish-style design that didn’t fall into the category of the Danish Fancy freehand; and the Traditional was, as one can guess, a pipe whose shaping was closer to Anglo-French conventions than Holm’s usual fare. “Heather,” in the context of this pipe, no doubt refers to the plant from which briar is harvested, tree heather, though it also seems that the simplicity of that name was appropriate, as the Ben Wade Heather was, quite simply, all about the grain. Each wore a very light, smooth polished finish and, as such, each exhibited the natural beauty of its namesake when in the right hands.

The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening and minor handling marks.

Details:

Length: 5.91″ / 150.1mm

Chamber Width: 1.03″ / 26.16mm

Chamber Depth: 1.78″ / 45.21mm

Bowl Height: 2.20″ / 55.88mm

Weight: 2.9oz / 82g