Ben Wade (Preben Holm) Tawny XL Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

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.

The Tawny, for example, was one of the many lines Holm produced for the Ben Wade make. Though Holm produced lines with all sorts of names, some more cryptic than others, the Tawny was incredibly straightforward. It was a freehand in Holm’s signature Danish Fancy style (as most of his Ben Wade pipes were), and the finish was a smooth polished, light, orange-brown one—a color otherwise known as tawny. This example sits on the larger side of Holm’s creations, coming in at around 7 inches in length, and features a good, wide chamber well-suited for mixture cuts.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening and handling marks.

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 1.07 / 27.17mm

Bowl Depth: 1.61″ / 40.89mm

Weight: 3.3oz / 94g