Ben Wade (Preben Holm) Straight Grain Magnum Smooth Volcano (Unsmoked 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.

Preben Holm’s pipes were famous for their freeform shaping and exemplary graining—that’s essentially why he achieved the level of renown that he did—though it appears that, when making pipes for Lane Ltd.’s Ben Wade make, a line was created for pipes with even finer vertical patternings than usual. That’s what I’d presume, at least, and having seen a selection of Straight Grain Ben Wades in a recent estates batch, they are indeed impressive pipes.

This example takes the form of a fittingly towering volcano rendition, having been carved “upside down,” as it were, to match the briar’s flaring vertical striations with the bowl’s funneled contours. This has also allowed for a vast plane of live plateau burl to be left on the pipe’s underside, giving it an extra dash ruggedness.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating, and comes with its original box and sleeve.

Details:

Length: 7.5″ / 190.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.88 / 22.35mm

Bowl Depth: 2.31″ / 58.67mm

Weight: 3.8oz / 1.08g