Ben Wade Ruby Rusticated Canadian Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

Ben Wade was founded, as might be expected, by Leeds-based English pipe merchant Benjamin Wade in 1860. Soon after, Wade opened his own workshop to produce quintessentially British pipes. As one of the first makes to create pipes from briar, Ben Wade has a special place in pipe history, one only made more special by the famously high-quality of their output.

In the mid-20th century, the Ben Wade brand was purchased by Lane Ltd., who used it as a sub-brand for Charatan Pipes. Later, Lane contracted the rising star of the Danish freehand movement, Preben Holm, to make pipes under the Ben Wade name in his distinctly Danish style.

I would assume that this particular Ben Wade is from the years Lane years during which it was a Charatan sub-brand, though that isn’t the end of the story for Ben Wade pipes, so it may well have been made a little later on. At the end of the 20th century, Ben Wade was purchased once again by Peter Wilson of Duncan Briars (who purchased it from Dunhill, who had previously purchased much of Lane Ltd.’s portfolio). Duncan Briars has its own, storied legacy within English pipes, but the one thing that has me thinking this might be a “Duncan era” Ben Wade is the finishing. I’m not familiar with Charatan having produced rusticated pipes in this style, whether for Ben wade or otherwise, but Duncan Briars certainly did. In fact, it was Peter Wilson who first taught Les Wood, of Ferndown, the art of rusticated finishes, and the Bark that resulted from that guidance was not entirely dissimilar from the kind of texture seen on this pipe.

I’m afraid most of this is speculation. Either way, it’s a good, solid, Canadian rendition.

The condition is great, too. Some very slight inner rim darkening and very minor finish fading.

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 1.75″ / 44.45mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 52g