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

[georged]

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 --- It's stamped Extra Large but is only average in size. 37 grams, 5 7/8" long.

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[alaskanpiper]

Wow! Looks more like a boswell than a charatan, except of course for the spectacular grain and finish. Hopefully @kenbarnes can tell us more!

 

[craig61a]

Danish Pipe Shop has had some odd looking Charatans lately... Not Supremes, but out of the ordinary.

The Danish Pipe Shop

At the Danish Pipe Shop in Copenhagen, Denmark you find more than 5000 tobacco pipes, 350 different pipe tobaccos, lighters and accessories for smokers. Tom Eltang Pipes, Stanwell, Poul Winsløw, Neerup, Mac Baren, My Own Blend, Dunhill and more!

www.danishpipeshop.com

That is one interesting pipe!

 

[captainsousie]

Wow, just wow. ? I'm in love.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Hope Kenny can offer up some input.

 

[verporchting]

Fuck me, that is one ugly pipe. ?

 

[augiebd]

That is a unique specimen, I love it, looking forward to hearing more background.

 

[mingc]

By golly, georged has found the design inspiration for Sonic the Hedgehog:

 

[Saintwilliam]

Oooo I’m excited to hear about this one!!

 

[didimauw]

@kenbarnes

 

[craiginthecorn]

Looks a bit like a prototype for a Von Erck.

 

[craig61a]

I’ve only run across one square shanked Charatan, on eBay a few years ago. My last second bid ended up being low.

The one square shanked Supreme I have isn’t a Charatan, but I’m happy with it. ?

 

[Saintwilliam]

I’ve posted this here before, it’s a replacement stem but there are many similarities.

would love to get a proper stem made for this chap

 

[Kottan]

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 --- It's stamped Extra Large but is only average in size. 37 grams, 5 7/8" long.

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View attachment 29697View attachment 29698View attachment 29699View attachment 29700View attachment 29701View attachment 29702

This pipe could have been carved by Preben Holm in the early 1970s. Also he made pipes under the Ben Wade label which Herman Lane owned since 1965.

 

[georged]

Looks a bit like a prototype for a Von Erck.View attachment 29734

An interesting info tidbit while waiting for Ken.

Lee's first-ever "spiral flute" pipe---which has become his trademark shape along with the Loon---was created for the Kansas City show's carving contest in 2011.

From humble beginnings and all that, eh? Specimens are now internationally collected and highly coveted.

Here's a photo of #1, and a link to a story describing the contest (which in turn contains links to coverage of the show itself, if you're into such things.)

The 2011 North American Pipe Carvers Competition

By Kevin Godbee, Photos by Jon Rinaldi During the annual Greater Kansas City Pipe & Tobacco Show there are several events within the event and a couple of competitions. One […]

pipesmagazine.com

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[craiginthecorn]

Thanks for sharing that, George. I didn't know the history. Lee has told me that the shape is a great deal of work and very hard on his hands due to the extensive amount of hand sanding. While I am the proud owner of one of his signature Loon shapes and one of the pokers he donated to support Father the Flame, this spiral is one I do not presently have in my collection.

 

[kenbarnes]

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 --- It's stamped Extra Large but is only average in size. 37 grams, 5 7/8" long."

This one was fashioned by Joan Nicholson, She first started working for Reuben in 1954 or 55 and she trained up Barry Jones in 1960 in the art of sandpapering and shaping the pipes. In 1975 I spent 6 months under her supervision and I must say that some of the stuff she produced was spectacular. I am interested in how this mouthpiece was bent (curved). It looks like an early Charatan because there is no 'glide' in the curve of the mouthpiece, it has been heated and 'bent' right up near the saddle part and the rest of the mouthpiece is pretty straight. I think it was made around 1966 because I understand from Barry that the 'Made By Hand' stamp was changed to script at about this time to blend in better with the other scripted lettering (in this case Extra Large) and later Made in the City of London. I am sure there are one or two Charatan Collectors out there that may be able to shed more light on this one.

 

[Saintwilliam]

Any thoughts on the Superme Block Mr. @kenbarnes ? here are a couple more pics.

 

[kenbarnes]

Any thoughts on the Superme Block Mr. @kenbarnes ? here are a couple more pics.

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?

 

[Saintwilliam]

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?

DC, the gentleman I got it from had no love for those stems and replaced many of his stems with saddles. This one wasn’t even broken or worn out he just didn’t like the original and it was the only one he didn’t keep