About Dunhill & Charatan

[forciori]

In 1976 Dunhill acquired Lane Limited which included Charatan, Ben Wade and the Grosvernor Pipe. This was Dunhill's first acquisition of a competing premium brand pipe (Charatan) and the first acquisition of a pipe brand (Ben Wade) that featured Danish type styling. Loring.

I talked to Hener recently about this acquisition and, he confirmed to me that Charatan is still under the umbrella of the Richemont group, just like them.

When Alfred Dunhill acquired its then US distributor Lane Limited, a side effect was that we also acquired simultaneously the Charatan and Ben Wade brands.

Today, we continue with manufacturing and selling the Charatan pipe brand. The Ben Wade brand was subsequently sold to Mr. Peter Wilson. K. S. Hener.

Interesting, is not it?
I don't know about you guys, but I didn't know that.

Best,
: :

 

[Chasing Embers]

I don't know about you guys, but I didn't know that.

"Sometimes, a pipe brand has a long and difficult road. That is the story of pipe trader turned maker Benjamin Wade. Ben Wade pipes have been around since 1860. The family factory in Leeds, UK was destroyed during the Blitz, but the family rebuilt it. In 1962, the business was sold to Herman G. Lane about the same time as Lane bought Charatan. Lane closed the factory in Leeds and moved production to London. Here, Ben Wade pipes became a seconds catagory for Charatan. Later in 1972, Ben Wade was sold to Dunhill who used the name to bail out Preben Holm of Denmark. Dunhill allowed Holm to use the Ben Wade name until his death in 1989. A decade passed before John Louis Duncan bought the name from Dunhill and relaunched the brand while still using the Dunhill factory at Walthamstow. Duncan restored the quality associated with the name of Ben Wade."

Fans of family era, and Preben Holm era Ben Wade pipes likely knew it. ?

 

[forciori]

A decade passed before John Louis Duncan bought the name from Dunhill and relaunched the brand while still using the Dunhill factory at Walthamstow.

Do you mean Parker-Hardcastle factory in Walthamstow (Dunhill's industrial complex) or exactly Dunhill factory?

Thanks.
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[Chasing Embers]

Do you mean Parker-Hardcastle factory in Walthamstow (Dunhill's industrial complex) or exactly Dunhill factory?

Thanks.
: :

Likely the Dunhill factory. Many similar shapes between the two. My knowledge of this is more from being interested in the Ben Wade history rather than Dunhill though.