Charatan Collection

[bentbob]

Hi all,
I have just read the James Upshall discussion with much interest and wondered if any of the former Charatan's men can shed some light on a collection of 20 Charatan pipes that I have come into possession of? These were part of the estate of the late Mrs. Alice Sturt who seems to have been employed at the factory from 1959 or so. Three of the pipes are fully finished and stamped, seven appear to be finished but not stamped, six are unfinished (stems and bowls not polished etc) and four are what I would call rejects as they have apparent flaws. One pipe is a "hurricane" style (I have never seen a Charatan in this style before), there is a very large plateau freehand and several others of good grain but not identifying stamps. I also have two letters (one signed by Reuben Charatan) to Mrs. Sturt. Does anyone know what Alice Sturt's role at the factory was and any information on the pipes themselves would be useful.

 

[papipeguy]

Wow, that's a fantastic collection and the letter seals the deal. I can't help with any useful information but I'm anxious to hear what the experts here have to add to the story.

 

[bonehed]

Can we see more of the letter or get a transcription? Just curious.

From what I can see it reads "Dear Alice, Christmas is coming and I am in urgent need of help..."

 

[gloucesterman]

What would be interesting to know is how she came to have these pipes. Since they're unsmoked it wasn't to use them so why then did she have them? What did she actually do for Charatan. That would make for a very interesting story to go with the collection. Nice find with some intriguing questions.

 

[daveinlax]

Very interesting. Charatan is a very collectible brand and unique ephemera is very cool to collectors. I'll pm a link to a guy who might be able to shed some light. Please let me know what you come up with. 8O

 

[bentbob]

Transcription of the letters are as follows (both are on letter headed paper, one is hand written by Reuben Charatan and the other type written but I can't make out the name.
7th Sept 1958

Dear Alice,

Christmas is coming and I am in urgent need of help. I was wondering if the position so far as you are concerned has improved since you last wrote me in May last. If it has & you could give me a couple of days a week it would be some help & I should be very thankfull (sic). Perhaps you will let me know by return?

All best wishes

Sincerely

R Charatan
7th September 1959

Dear Mrs. Sturt,

Thank you for your letter of the 2nd.

Although we would much prefer if you could work longer hours weekly than what you mention, come along by all means on the 15th when you can see Mr. Charatan, and no doubt we can fix something up at least for the time being,

Thanks for writing and we will expect you on the 15th.

Yours sincerely

F. CHARATAN & SON LTD.

(signature unreadable)

 

[bonehed]

Very cool - thanks for the transcription! As gloucesterman mentioned, I wonder what she did for them as well...

 

[bentbob]

I have no idea what Alice did at Charatan or how she came into possession of the pipes (although I could make a guess). A good friend knows John and Dennis Marshall (of Charatan and Millville fame) and will be making enquiries with them in the New Year.
Non of the pipes have been smoked and must have sat around in a box somewhere for years (there is no light damage nor oxidation evident). From what I can gather, Alice died some years ago and it was only after her son died and her grand daughter then cleared out the house that they were found. She had no knowledge of Charatan until then and does not know what her Grandmother did at the factory.

 

[sablebrush52]

I just love it when things like this just float up out of the ether! it's like pipe history magic!

 

[kenbarnes]

I did know Alice. She was one of the old experienced finishers at Charatan in the early 70s. I now recall her standing in front of her bench staining/ and igniting the stain at the bunsen burner bench.I think she specialised in 'background stains' at that time. Barry Jones would probably shed more light on this as she was one of those who taught Barry the art of finishing. She would always give me a warm smile in the morning when I walked passed her. I think she worked there until the mid seventies. Thanks for the recall!

 

[ssjones]

Wow, it would have been magnificent to interview the woman who taught Barry Jones how to finish a pipe!

 

[bentbob]

Cheers Ken,
Thanks for the info. I am in touch with Alice's granddaughter who will appreciate the input as it fills in a little family history for her.
Getting in touch with Barry is proving quite difficult. If you are in contact with him, I'll PM you my number and you could pass it onto him. I don't mind a drive down to Wilts (or anywhere else for that matter) to get a bit more info on th epipes.
Thanks again
Bob

 

[jpmcwjr]

What a fine story as well as collection of pipes!

 

[jackswilling]

Just read this thread. A great thread. Seriously good stuff here. Love the pipes and especially the ephemera and that someone has first hand knowledge of its recipient.

 

[bentbob]

Just a bit of an update on the story of these pipes. John Marshall of Millville pipes and a former Charatan Carver along with his father Dennis, has had a look at this collection. According to John, most of them are Charatan production from anytime between the early sixties to the mid seventies. The few that are not actual Charatan's are Ben Wade produced pipes from after Charatan's (or more correctly, Herman Lane's) purchase of the Ben Wade name and machinery. Apparently, Charatan never pre -carbonised their bowls where as Ben Wade made pipes did. John even thought that one of the pipes was "his"! John has also very kindly offered to give the pipes a final polish to bring them up to scratch.
I will be trying to get in touch with Barry Jones for the next chapter in the story to see if he can identify the carvers of the freehand pipes in the collection.

 

[jkrug]

What a great collection and a cool story behind these pipes. Looking forward to hearing more about them. ::

 

[fnord]

A lot of us are looking to hear more about these pipes, Bentbob.
Please, please keep us in the loop.
Like Jesse wrote, this is indeed "... pipe history magic."
Fnord

 

[newbroom]

I could have SWORN that I read something in a thread once here, that Charatan's stems were notoriously prone to oxidize. This thread suggests otherwise.

I think we all would love to happen upon a treasure trove of old, well made, un-smoked pipes like this.

Those you have seem to feature some very nice and thick rims. Nice set a rims. ha ha

 

[bentbob]

I will indeed keep you in the loop gents as soon as I have more information. John Marshall has the pipes at the moment so that he and Dennis can have a good look at them and finish of those that need it. I'll then try to contact Barry Jones to see if he can shed any light on them.
As to oxidation of the stems, there is absolutely none whatsoever. However, I suspect that these pipes have been kept wrapped up somewhere out of the light, in a drawer or box or something. There is hardly a mark on any of them and several are in show room condition. There is still wood dust in and on some of the unfinished pipes and two of them had blocked stems and shanks (congealed dust) from what I suspect was their first or second sanding as those pipes are still unstained, but have the stems fitted.

 

[ssjones]

Take some pictures of those men with these pipes! Particularly Barry Jones, who has been a ghost.