Very Old Ben Wade and Kaywoodies

The Ben Wade is from what is known as the "Family era" dating around WW2 iirc. The Kaywoodies look even older than that. Great finds!

The Kaywoodie Thorn with the aluminum stinger attached to the tenon dates from between 1924 and 1928. The other Kaywoodie is no later than 1932.

Dixie:
The Ben Wade name, like so many other names from the great pipe houses, was passed around and sold like a box of tissues. You came across a classic English find and I'm truly happy for you.
However, if you ever find a Ben Wade that was stamped "Made in Denmark" then you've found a keeper if the price is right. That version was owned by legendary Danish pipe maker, Preben Holm, and it's about as close as I'll ever get to owning a Preben Holm original. Still, his Ben Wade employees included: Poul Winslow, Hansen and Noltensmeier (who went on to take over S.Bang) Per Hansen, Bo Nordh, and Karl Erik.
You've got a great eye, pal.
Fnord

Fnord,
Not to hijack Dixie's thread but I have a Ben Wade Golden MATT and a Ben Wade Freehand MATT that would date to the 1970's. I'll look to see if they are marked Made in Denmark but I have been told they are from the Preben Holm era. Any idea what MATT stands for? Both are Freehand's with larger bowls. They were among the pipes I inherited from my dad.

Good Lord! Nice pipes...jealous for sure.

Fabulous finds. I really like the paneled Ben Wade. I have two BW's made in Denmark that I got in the early 1970's. The fact that your pipes even have the original stems is remarkable.

Nice score. THose Kaywoodies are AWESOME!!! :worship: congrats!! :puffpipe:

I really like those Kaywoodies

Great find on the Kaywoodies! I've been collecting them this year, nothing earlier than 1940's, prefer the 20's and 30's. Enjoy!

Damn, you do have a great eye!
I absolutely love those Thorns, especially the real gnarly one on top that looks like it was blasted to hell, those early KBB blasts are amongst the best ever done!
The BW is highly interesting, I've never seen that particular font style either, and info for Leeds-era BW is very scarce, even The Pipe Rack where there's usually a pretty good historical write-up, has little to say,

http://www.thepiperack.com/blue-chip-estate-pipe-1918-hallmarked-ben-wade-bruyere-anciene-w-amber-stem/
Here's an advert snippet from Vanity Fair, vol.26 #4, 1926...

The Ben Wade family of Leeds know their art. Since 1860 Ben Wade men have been pipe makers to the English gentry. A pipe by them is as mellow as the tone of a Cremona violin. Lustrous as your polished riding boots. Sweet as a breath...

Click to expand...

Here's a BW from 1910 with an unusual stamp,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BEN-WADE-BRIAR-amp-STERLING-SILVER-EDWARDIAN-1910-PIPE-IN-CASE-/331252030215?pt=UK_Collectables_Tobacciana_Smoking_LE&hash=item4d2028db07&nma=true&si=oh8mUiuLt7owvhZwE7ajlgU8zhw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
The original factory was totally destroyed in the Leeds Blitz. Up until 1965 they used this address - Ben Wade Limited, Yorkist Works, 29, Clarendon Road, Leeds - but I'm unsure if that was a factory or just a headquarters.
They were bought out by Charatan in 1965.
Some really good info here,

http://yeoldebriars.com/benwade.html

...run it thru google translate and you'll get the gist of it, be sure to check out the pix too, he's got original boxes too!
Congrats on such a sweet find!

:!:

Send us some pics after you finish your reconditioning - although they look like you could smoke them now. Congrats. Where did you get them, if you don't mind the question?

Love the kaywoodies. I'm sure they will clean up and smoke great.