Charatan’s Make Perfection Extra Large 42X Smooth Billiard 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 (who went on to work at Dunhill, before leaving again to start the Sasieni make), Dennis Marshall (previously of Barling, later of Milville), Dan Tennison, Stan Haney (later of Ashby Hall), and Ken Barnes and Barry Jones (later of James Upshall).

Speaking of Barnes and Jones, here we have an example of a Charatan pipe that served as a founding and enduring influence on James Upshall, once the two had left to form their own pipe company. The shaping is Charatan’s house billiard, the “42” one established all the way back in the Reuben era, when it was known as the Giant Billiard. This one is an even more sizeable example than Reuben’s Giant, however, being an Extra Large rendition. Perhaps most importantly—and most influentially—however, is the finish: Charatan’s Perfection. While Charatan established itself early on as offering “Perfection in Pipes,” the Perfection itself was notable for its deep, golden contrast stain. As with this example, the finish was typically paired with a cross-cut shaping, making for some of the most dazzling bird’s-eye patterns money could buy.

The condition is very good. Some minor wear to the rim and slight handling marks.

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.96 / 24.38mm

Bowl Depth: 2.12″ / 53.84mm

Weight: 3.1oz / 88g