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  1. kenbarnes

    Charatan Experts Needed

    Thanks jguss, I have never seen that illustration before. I do know that Reuben Charatan used to select all the straight grain blocks from the bags of briar and turn these by hand. The other blocks would be turned on a bowl-turning machine into their relative catalogue shapes. What interests me...
  2. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    That is a really nice looking pipe and a fine looking briar block too!
  3. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Those were the days! Every time a person shows an Upshall pipe from 1978-89 I go right down memory lane! I don't know anything about 'Oil soap', brass bristle brush or lacquer thinner (we never applied any lacquer to our pipes). I would not do anything with the top, what I meant was to keep the...
  4. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Hello craig61a I like this pipe. As mentioned previously, I think this pipe was made between 1982 - 1989 although I would think it is more like 1982-83. In those days, we made a few 'thin-shanked' Billiards and here is a fine example. The tobacco chamber seems to have been 'knifed' but I think...
  5. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Hello jojoc and welcome to the forum. What a gorgeous shape, lovely grain and beautifully restored. Yes, I think your dating is 'spot on' - I reckon 1980, when we started to get some fine briar from the Arta Company, Arta in Greece. I hope you enjoy it!
  6. kenbarnes

    Charatan Coronation -- One of the Most Perfect Straight Grain Specimens Known

    Thank you huntertrw, jguss and others who have contributed to this thread. I knew Herman Lane slightly, as I had met him on half a dozen occasions but, more importantly, I felt his presence from 1967 – 1977 and experienced the impact he had on our family. He was a ‘tough cookie’ and very...
  7. kenbarnes

    Charatan Summa Cum Laude

    Thank you very much for this information fredhanna, your words have definitely taken me down memory lane. I have just been on the ‘phone to Barry Jones and we spent one hour going down memory lane too. Barry was telling me that the first Coronations that were made were classically shaped in...
  8. kenbarnes

    Charatan Summa Cum Laude

    Yes, I saw that one, it was shaped in the form of a cello and the grain, in my opinion, was not as spectacular as this one.
  9. kenbarnes

    Charatan Summa Cum Laude

    The Charatan Coronation on the previous thread is very nice and I think this one is a real 'corker'! Below is a photo of a photo that my father took of the first Charatan Summa Cum Laude – I think that there were only 3 ever made? He took this picture in the factory's showroom with a black &...
  10. kenbarnes

    Charatan Coronation -- One of the Most Perfect Straight Grain Specimens Known

    I think that this is one of the earliest Coronations I have seen. I must say that Charatan’s bowl-work was far superior to the mouthpiece work that was produced! I think the bend/curve on the mouthpiece of the original is really poor whilst the curve formed on the mouthpiece below this pic is...
  11. kenbarnes

    What English Makers Used a Dark Red/ Purple Stain

    I remember my father saying that the 'Plum finish' was a must (way back in 1971). It was the biggest selling line for Charatan and remained so throughout the 1970s. I suppose it looked warm and 'broken in' when new. It also served well in hiding the small sand spots in this quality of pipe...
  12. kenbarnes

    A James Upshall Bent Acclaim FH

    Very interesting. Is the mouthpiece vulcanite brindle or acrylic? The saddle part of the mouthpiece looks quite sharp (rather than curved) which is how Reuben (affectionately called 'Ruby' by Barry) Charatan used to make the saddle hand-cuts way back in the 1950s - early 1960s. Interesting name...
  13. kenbarnes

    A Question About A Charatan's Distinction

    I have never seen this kind of stamping on a Charatan. The pipe looks like a late 1970s example. I left Charatan in 1977 after the Dunhill sales staff had 'moved in' and I don't know what happened after that really. Is this Cp slightly larger than the earlier one? That would probably date the...
  14. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    Hello hauntedmyst. Yes I do remember Diana. She had as much passion for pipes as I do - such fond memories. I have taken a photo of a photo of Diana when she was visiting the Tilshead Pipe Co / Upshall in 1984. In this photo I am showing her how I cut plateau briar on the saw.
  15. kenbarnes

    James Upshall Pipes - A Discussion

    What a lovely 'P' grade Apple shape and with some fine grain. This one was made after 1989 as a size no. was only added after I had left the firm. The 'S' grade looks much earlier. If the leather bag came with this one (nice soft lambskin!), the date of this pipe would be around 1984. Great...
  16. kenbarnes

    Why Aren't P-Lips Proprietary?

    I know that Vauen (pipe-makers since 1848) have been making the 'P' lip for many years. They also patented the white spot in Europe before Alfred Dunhill in the 1920s.This controversy still went on in the late 1970s and they made pipes with another coloured dot for the UK market. I think that I...
  17. kenbarnes

    Jimmy Craig Ashtons

    Yes, Bill sold to Paul Bentley, a real gentleman and excellent payer. He really looked after Les, me & Bill. He was more interested in doing business with the individual pipe-makers than the larger concerns.
  18. kenbarnes

    Another Ben Wade challenge

    Apologies, it is in fact Sheffield Crown Y for 1916 - my error. I am sure jguss will shed more light on Free-Bore. The Charatan Underboar may have been a response to this line!
  19. kenbarnes

    Another Ben Wade challenge

    I think that hallmark on the band is a Y with a squiggle under it is a Birmingham one which is for 1898-1899? This is very probably the original band for the pipe. In those days, they used a glue-type paste to fix the band to the shank and this stuff can disintegrate after a hundred years which...
  20. kenbarnes

    Would Someone Be Able to Date This Charatan?

    Hello ywainthebastard. First of all welcome to the forum! I have never heard of this 394DC shape and therefore this is the first time that I have seen it. I think that the Charatan stamping and the cp logo on the mouthpiece is in keeping with Charatan pipes of the 1970s. The quality and colour...