Charatan’s Make Lane Era Distinction Extra Large Smooth Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

Description

While Dunhill may be Britain’s most famous pipe brand, Charatan is not only older, but has the honor of being the first to have made its pipes entirely in-house. ‘Charatan’s Make’ referred to the fact that, at a time when other pipe companies were sourcing stummels and stems carved from other companies before assembling them in their factories and workshops, Charatan made every part of their pipes on the Charatan premises. So began a legacy of high-quality pipe-making under the Charatan name, one whose employees, at one time or another, included Joel Sasieni, and Ken Barnes and Barry Jones of James Upshall fame.

The “Distinction” was one of the grades awarded to straight grain pipes from Charatan’s freehand workshop. That is in part why these pipes were awarded such a lofty title. But there is another reason for choosing that word in particular: the pipe’s stain. “Distinction” grade pipes were dressed in two distinct stains which gave the underlying grain an even more prominent appearance. In other words, these pipes wore what we today would call a contrast stain—a golden contrast stain, in fact. Judging by the proprietary Double Comfort stem and the “MADE BY HAND” nomenclature, I would estimate that this Extra Large sized, Distinction grade freehand Dublin was made during the first Lane era, as it has come to be known. This was the period from the early to mid-1960s when Herman Lane first acquired Charatan, and which produced pipes that many consider to have been its best.

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

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.97 / 24.63mm

Bowl Depth: 2.09″ / 53.08mm

Weight: 2.6oz / 76g