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  1. kenbarnes

    Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

    :)My pleasure!
  2. kenbarnes

    The Worst British Pipes To Date?

    This De Luxe is a lovely shape. The 'Salisbury' shape. I think that this one is from the early 1960s. When my father started working at Charatan in 1967 (I think), the pipes already had the prefix number before the shape no. The Salisbury shape came in two sizes then the 173 (a small group 1...
  3. kenbarnes

    The Worst British Pipes To Date?

    Hello Kottan the Charatan Extra is rare. According to the Russian article it first came out in the 1920s and they were still being sold in the 1930s. http://brbpipe.ru/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/T-shop_1-2011-12_56-69_3.pdf I google translated segments of this article which gave me a rough...
  4. kenbarnes

    Historic James Upshall Photos

    Thank you very much for posting these photos. Wow, I have not seen these pics before - they do bring back some happy memories. Yes it is 1983! I would be interested to know who took these photos? In the foreground is Violet pumicing the pipes in the finishing shop. The next guy is David who is...
  5. kenbarnes

    Barling's Pots (Photo Heavy)

    I do remember that, at Charatan's, the guy who did the stamping (Chera Singh) sometimes used the older slightly smaller Charatan's Make stamp for pipes with thinner shanks as it helped achieve a crisper more consistent stamp. Also it was sometimes used when the shank was not absolutely even -...
  6. kenbarnes

    The Worst British Pipes To Date?

    "But I have two other pipes I want to show you, a Charatan Special 481 DC and a NOS Ben Wade 50 Standard. They both have a red dot on the mouthpiece and I don't know why. The dots must have been stamped at the factory at least in case of the Ben Wade because its red dot lies under the Ben Wade...
  7. kenbarnes

    The Worst British Pipes To Date?

    Hello Kottan Yes, Barry did say that the 'L' stamp was used in 1960 if not before. I thought it was later. He said that when Herman Lane made his visits to the factory, he would select pipes that he wanted for the US and get Reuben to stamp the 'L' stamp on each one (to make sure he got sent...
  8. kenbarnes

    How Do You Properly Pronounce Charatan?

    This video pronouncing the word Charity (in UK English) is how the first part of Charatan is pronounced. Then omit the 'Y' and add Anne as in Anne Boleyn! :LOL:
  9. kenbarnes

    Your Experience with Charatans

    What I have learnt along the way is that some pipe smokers experience pipes smoking wet because they inadvertently touch their tongue on the opening (slot) of the mouthpiece which can create a 'wet smoke - just a thought. :)
  10. kenbarnes

    Calling Ken Barnes... Calling Ken Barnes... Highly Unusual Charatan Supreme Info Request

    I think this could have been shaped by either Joan or Barry. In my opinion, I think this may also be from the mid 1960s. Was the original mouthpiece a standard saddle or a Double Comfort mouthpiece?
  11. kenbarnes

    Calling Ken Barnes... Calling Ken Barnes... Highly Unusual Charatan Supreme Info Request

    georged said: "This specimen is memorably different for any pipe. For a conservative company like Charatan it might be unique. (Made to commemorate the Queen's Tulip Parade or something similar.) Produced during the Lane era, I'm hoping that Ken was in the shop when it passed through. BTW ---...
  12. kenbarnes

    The Worst British Pipes To Date?

    The DC mouthpiece was first used in November 1964. I will ask Barry about when the '£' stamp was first used. I am pretty sure he will not know the exact year but he will know whether it was after Reuben's death or a year before he bought his first Austin Mini or whether it was when the factory...
  13. kenbarnes

    Louis Adler Pipes?

    I am not sure. I have never seen a mouthpiece crack at this point and in this fashion - ever! The vulcanite may have been drilled out very wide and (super-) glued to the what was left from the last fracture. I think it will be a great challenge to do and satisfying if it works out ok.
  14. kenbarnes

    Louis Adler Pipes?

    Be mindful that the mouthpiece in the photo is not the original as it is not flush with the silver band. I know the photo you were talking about. Nice!
  15. kenbarnes

    The Worst British Pipes To Date?

    Yes, I am sure this is an early one as they have used the old Made by hand stamp with the new scripted city of London stamp - is that the 'L' stamp on the 'bowl'? I have never seen that before! This may have been one of the first that were 'L' stamped. I do not know when the 'L' was first...
  16. kenbarnes

    Louis Adler Pipes?

    The calabash pipes LA made at that time were generally good quality. I have replaced a couple of these mouthpieces in the past. One thing is that it may be a screw thread fit which can make the repair a little more challenging. If it has an original case it will need to fit the case too. In...
  17. kenbarnes

    The Worst British Pipes To Date?

    This Charatan Perfection is from the 1970s probably 1974-5. When Herman Lane was asked where he wanted the 'L' to be stamped on the shank his answer was 'it doesn't matter where, as long as all Charatans coming to the USA have one'. So, Leslie Rand who was in charge of dispatching the orders to...
  18. kenbarnes

    Charatan's Make 483DC Perfection Question

    My father told me that the DC mouthpiece was Herman Lane's idea, which he had during, what I call, the 'Esther era'. Recently, Barry recounted the day Reuben died in early 1962. During the lunch hour, Reuben was working at his sanding wheel when he had a heart attack and died. Barry was playing...
  19. kenbarnes

    Charatan's Make 483DC Perfection Question

    A few weeks ago, I was privileged to clean up the very first Charatan 'Freeshape' that was made at Charatan by Barry Jones when he was 17 years old. The pipe was really admired by Reuben and it became the game-changer for Charatan,.Barry started working for Reuben Charatan in 1959 when he was...
  20. kenbarnes

    Charatan's Make 483DC Perfection Question

    Hello pappymac whilst Ken 'Burns' with passion for pipes & pipe-making my name is actually Barnes :) This 483 DC (The Cavalier) has, at some point, had the mouthpiece replaced. In the 1960s Herman Lane realised that a Charatan pipe he was replacing for a customer in New York was actually not...
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