Charatan 109 Special Bulldog

[riff raff]

I grabbed this Charatan 109 Special this afternoon and was surprised when it didn't really go much past it's opening price.  I was only one of two bidders and it went $1 under my bid, whew.  I bought a 109 "Rough" a few months ago.  I was very much taken by the shape and it is one of my finest smokers.  I had hoped to find it in a higher grade but that model doesn't come up very often, so I was lucky here.  Hank Saitchi and I looked at this ebay ad at the Philly pipe club and he thought it would go a $100 higher than it did.  I guess an auction ending at 3 PM conspired to against the seller.

It really looks terrific and I hope it smokes half as good as my other 109, which is phenomenal.  A tapered stem bulldog is definitely one of my hallmark shapes.  The wife says this is a Christmas present, so I won't get to see it until then.

PS: I'll be listing that 109 Rough in the classifieds, if anyone is interested, along with some other pipes.

 

[herbinedave]

That is one fine looking Charatan. I would have a tough time waiting till Christmas!!!! Enjoy Al!!!!!

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

It looks like it has serrated, parallel lines on the bottom of the shank? If so I've never seen that before. Great catch. How long do you feel you'll go on taking down every classic Brit pipe out there? How big is your collection? Do you smoke all of them?

 

[RDPipes]

Nice little Doggie you have there Riff!
Nice clear grain and smooth lines

 

[riff raff]

Alfredo: They do all get smoked! Those lines you see on the bottom are a reflection off the bamboo like mat.

I'm trying to keep my total collection under 50 pipes, because I do fear beyond that, some just won't get used. So, look for some ads in the classifieds shortly, including the first 109, which is an incredible smoker.

 

[Brewdude]

You sure do know how to snag those great pipes Al!

 :bounce: 



Cheers,

RR

 

[monbla256]

Out of the 26 Charatans I own, 12 are Specials and I have one Special Bulldog, a straight 12 38 and I LOVE it ! The Special series I think was the best all around model series they made. many are straight grain'd, they DON'T have fills and ALL of mine are some of the BEST smoking pipes I own    You got a FANTASTIC example of this series and a bent bulldog to boot !! Load that puppy up ans smoke the hell out of it, they LIKE to smoke  :twisted:   :twisted: 

 

[riff raff]

That's good to know monbla. My 109 is an incredible smoker, but now packed up and heading to Dave! I'm hoping this one is it's smoking equal.

The auction was a nail biter. I drove my daughter, our truck and a u-haul to Somerset PA today to pick up some of her furniture from a boyfriend. I was hoping to be back home by 2 PM and the auction ended at 3:45. Of course she was late, the move and storage of her stuff took a lot longer and I was still on the road at 3:30 PM. I pulled off the interstate to make the bid and just got it in with literally a few seconds to go, whew! She asked what I was doing - winning a pipe auction! She just rolled her eyes...

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Al, in my eyes you are an estimable collector. By your dedication you get pipe after classic pipe that's important to you for a sum that doesn't break the bank. As an observer, it's fun to watch, and I have a kinship with your collection, as if in some undefined way I benefit from it along with you.

And you smoke them all! Very cool!

 

[riff raff]

Al, in my eyes you are an estimable collector. By your dedication you get pipe after classic pipe that's important to you for a sum that doesn't break the bank. As an observer, it's fun to watch, and I have a kinship with your collection, as if in some undefined way I benefit from it along with you.

And you smoke them all! Very cool!

Interesting. Yes, I do not have an unlimited pipe fund and I'm careful in my purchases. I sold a total of five pipes last night to pay for recent purchases and at this point, if something is purchased, something needs to leave the nest. It's always a little difficult packing up a pipe I refurbished and enjoyed, but it's part of the process and it keeps me grounded and focused. It also limits purchases to pipes that are missing from my current collection (shapes/finishes) and not just another pretty face.

 

[Hawker]

Congrats Riff on a fine addition to the litter. Gotta luv them Doggies.
The way you won it with a last minute bid by a buck makes it all the sweeter. :cheers:

 

[rothnh]

Great snag, Al! I know how much you're drawn to fine bulldogs. Enjoy and thanks for sharing!

 

[MisterE]

Great haul! I'm very fond of my Charatans. In fact, I'd say they outsmoke my Dunhills pipe for pipe.  :cheers: 

 

[riff raff]

Thanks guys. The Special line is the top "Apprentice" grade for Charatan, but as the ad mentioned, it sure looks undergraded.

 

[monbla256]

Thanks guys.  The Special line is the top "Apprentice" grade for Charatan, but as the ad mentioned, it sure looks undergraded.  

Many Specials were just that. That grade was just below the Executive and Distinction series and for what ever reason, many Specials could have been stamped a grade above what they were !! You know of coarse that many "experts" consider Charatans to be ".... miss drilled Golf Clubs" Oh well  :twisted:   :twisted: 

 

[riff raff]

Yep, I've heard Charlatan described as a drinking club with a pipe making problem....

 

[docwatson]

I don't know where this "apprentice grade" crap ever came from but IMO it's BS.
That pipe is NO apprentice pipe, as all Charatan Pipes were considered High Grade. Even the lesser models like the Authentic, Perfection, Belvedere and such are all flawless pipes and never had fills. I have owned the complete line of pipes up to Supreme Grade and they are great smokes with beautiful workmanship and the best of briar. Unfortunately my collection doesn't go any higher than the Supreme Grade. Anything above that is a bit pricey for my wallet. LOL
That bulldog special is definitely undergraded IMO as others have stated. A really fine addition to your stable of smokers Al. Congrats.

 

[riff raff]

That is interesting Andy. I picked that up from the "Rare Memories" webpage, I can't remember who owns that site:
http://www.rarememories.com/Charatan.htm

I don't know where this "apprentice grade" crap ever came from but IMO it's BS.
That pipe is NO apprentice pipe, as all Charatan Pipes were considered High Grade. Even the lesser models like the Authentic, Perfection, Belvedere and such are all flawless pipes and never had fills. I have owned the complete line of pipes up to Supreme Grade and they are great smokes with beautiful workmanship and the best of briar. Unfortunately my collection doesn't go any higher than the Supreme Grade. Anything above that is a bit pricey for my wallet. LOL
That bulldog special is definitely undergraded IMO as others have stated. A really fine addition to your stable of smokers Al. Congrats.

 

[MisterE]

I don't know where this "apprentice grade" crap ever came from but IMO it's BS.
That pipe is NO apprentice pipe, as all Charatan Pipes were considered High Grade. Even the lesser models like the Authentic, Perfection, Belvedere and such are all flawless pipes and never had fills. I have owned the complete line of pipes up to Supreme Grade and they are great smokes with beautiful workmanship and the best of briar. Unfortunately my collection doesn't go any higher than the Supreme Grade. Anything above that is a bit pricey for my wallet. LOL
That bulldog special is definitely undergraded IMO as others have stated. A really fine addition to your stable of smokers Al. Congrats.

I would agree that Charatans tend to be undergraded. Dunhills, on the other hand, are often overgraded. A Charatan Special stamped Dunhill would be easily be graded a DR A or B.  (IMHO, naturally, for the PC crowd)

I did, however, read somewhere that apprentices were only allowed to produce the Belvedere line. Maybe a few Specials were made by the trainees, too. That might be why some refer to them as "apprentice grade" pipes. I own a Special Canadian which is without fills but quite really lopsided.  It might be one of those pipes turned after a multi-pint lunch, lol. It's a superb smoker, so I've come to love the lumpy thing.

 

[docwatson]

That is interesting Andy. I picked that up from the "Rare Memories" webpage, I can't remember who owns that site:

:gsotwx8w]http://www.rarememories.com/Charatan.htm

Bruce Plumb from Oregon owns that site. I know him from the Charatan Collectors Club and have emailed him for a reply to see exactly where he got that information. There may be some truth to it, as I'm sure apprenticeships always started sweeping floors and graduating up the ladder to making pipes eventually and they probably did work on the lower grades. Right now, it's all speculation but it does make sense.

And concerning Charatan as a drinking club with a pipe making problem LOL the same used to hold true for Peterson's in Dublin. I know an old time collector that had personal connections with the management there and he told me that back in the 1980's he had to call them by 7 a.m. EST before they had their Guinness lunch. LOL
Sounds like a place that I would've like to work myself.  :lol!: