Any Charatan experts in da house?

[BigCasino]

I picked up this pipe at the local B&M today, while looking through the estate basket altho it has never been smoked..
The guy who owns the place is an awesome guy and he is a straight shooter, but it was his opinion that there is a good chance this is a Charatans "second"
I am just curious what some of you Pipe Gurus think, I did do a search for a Charatans Skater and it does "look" like one, but what I really like about this pipe is the size of the bowl and the blasted finish

 

[monbla256]

It definately has the looks of the 654 "Skater" about it and the blasting ( NOT Rustication) looks alot like Charatan's as well. Without the Charatan stamp I would have to say it's probably a "second" but remember, most of Charatan's seconds would have been a first for other makers. Here's a link to a 1970's Charatan Catalog showing the "Skater" with the DC bit they usually came with.Charatan's LOOOVE McC's Va's :twisted:

http://www.tecon-gmbh.de/info_pages.php?pages_id=121%3FosCsid%3D093163f4f79f9136b21700ce1bdf1f80&language=en&osCsid=28818b9eab896a9fc57621f11a90566a

 

[sisyphus]

Definitely a Charatan made skater. Maybe sold as a Mountbatten or Falstaff, maybe Astleys. Even more likely is that it was made for a tobacco shop like Leonard's and sold under the tobacconist's private marque. Funny there is so little in the stamping, but the shape is unmistakable.

 

[BigCasino]

Thanks Guys! I figure if it turns out that I like this pipe, and that if someday a Charatan comes around i'll know if it will be worth picking up

 

[monbla256]

Thanks Guys! I figure if it turns out that I like this pipe, and that if someday a Charatan comes around i'll know if it will be worth picking up

Charatan's, especialy Lane era ones are ALWAYS worth getting. Life fact #1 :twisted:

 

[Rob_In_MO]

Charatan's LOOOVE McC's Va's :twisted:

Bovine Feces! Charatan's love a good English blend! :twisted:
What the heck's the matter with you, Monbla?



:lol!:

 

[sisyphus]

Pre-Lane and Lane era Charatans are some of the finest pipes ever made IMO. The only factory pipe still in production that I'd mention in the same breath is Castello.

 

[Rob_In_MO]

Pre-Lane and Lane era Charatans are some of the finest pipes ever made IMO.

Amen, Brother!

 

[BigCasino]

I thought you were supposed to smoke English blends in pipes made in London? when I find a pipe made in Virginia I'll smoke some virginias in it :lol!:

It is quite a deep bowl, so since I smoke more English Blends I am planning on using it for such (sorry Mon)

 

[Anonymous]

The straight-line LONDON ENGAND on it looks identical to the stamping of a Lane-era Charatan.

I think we have some enthusiasm skewing judgement going on here, though.

In the first place, Charatan had the (pretty well deserved at times) reputation of being a drinking establishment that made pipes. Some of their high-end stuff was so badly drilled as to be un-smokable (probably afternoon productions following a two-pint lunch).

Second. Lane's hyping them to the skies notwithstanding (he owned them, for Pete's sake), their output certainly did not exceed the standard reached by Dunhill, Comoy, Barling, BBB or GBD in their top grades. And although they did invent the free-form shaping of stummels to follow the grain, their "golf clubs" (as they were sometimes known) would rarely stand comparison today, as art in briar, with any number of less celebrated makers in the years since.

They're nice pipes. But not the analogue in briar of Stradivari violins.

:face:

 

[BigCasino]

Soooo what your saying is stuff a Stradivari violin full of pipe tobacco and light it on fire? :scratch:

 

[Anonymous]

Jagoff. :tongue:

:face:

 

[BigCasino]

:lol!:

 

[MisterE]

Charatan's LOOOVE McC's Va's :twisted:

Bovine Feces! Charatan's love a good English blend! :twisted:
What the heck's the matter with you, Monbla?
:lol!:

I'll attest to the afinity of Charatan with the McCatsup Virginias. I cracked some Xmas Cheer the other day and it literally climbed out of the tin and packed itself into a nearby Charatan Canadian declaring "light me".

 

[sstodvictory]

I would include Willmer as a potential maker as well. The stem is a dead ringer for it.

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Willmer was operated by a former Charatan carver.

:face:

 

[daveinlax]

It looks like the shank is rusticated not blasted but I can't tell from the photo's. That would be a clue to it pointing to Charatan. I've heard many Charatan pipes where carved in the Preben Holm factory. :shock:

 

[Anonymous]

It seems, from assembling data bits dropped here and there, that PH turned Charatan standard shapes for them. The firsts went out as Charatans & Charatan Selecteds ; those with minor flaws got non-double comfort stems and went out as Ben Wades. Same pipes, essentially.

That's the older ones, now. Lane-era stuff.

:face:

 

[sstodvictory]

If there were rustication on it why would that point to Charatan?

Steve

 

[sisyphus]

It looks like the shank is rusticated not blasted but I can't tell from the photo's. That would be a clue to it pointing to Charatan. I've heard many Charatan pipes where carved in the Preben Holm factory. :shock:

I think you're mixing up Ben Wade and Charatan. Ben Wades came from either Charatan or Preben Holm, depending on the made in stamping.