Charatan’s Make Reuben Era (c.1955-60) Special 4211 Smooth “Outsize Bent” Estate Briar Pipe, English Estates

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), Dan Tennison, Stan Haney (later of Ashby Hall), and Ken Barnes and Barry Jones (later of James Upshall).

While Charatan remains famous for its straight grain pipes, there was still a place within the make’s grading schemes for other kinds of beautiful briar patterns. The Special was one such grade. Introduced in the first half of the 20th century, during Reuben Charatan’s time at the helm of F. Charatan & Son (known as the “Reuben era,” or “Reuben’s era”), the Special grade was awarded to “Premier quality pipes, cut in ‘cross grain’ or ‘bird’s eye’ graining.”

Though the Special remained in Charatan’s catalog for decades after Reuben’s passing in 1960, this particular example was made under his tenure, during the last years of the “Reuben era” (the Lane Ltd. circled “L” logo on the shank indicates that it was sold for the US market, where Herman Lane held exclusive distribution rights from 1955 onward). Taking the form of a “Outsize Bent” billiard in Charatan’s early house style, it is a rendition wholeheartedly distinguished by bird’s-eye grain, which covers the bowl’s large sides—just as Reuben promised.

The condition is very good. Some minor wear to the rim, chamber slightly over-reamed, and minor handling marks.

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.96 / 24.38mm

Bowl Depth: 1.94″ / 49.27mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 62g