Is this an hundred and four year old Charatan?

[papipeguy]

That's a beauty and all the more remarkable if it is 104 years old.

 

[sablebrush52]

This is a seriously well proportioned gorgeous pipe!
So, for a start, given condition, I would agree that it was originally cased, and stayed cased for a significant length of time. It does look like the tenon got snipped, to what purpose I have no clue.
I have a hard time seeing the FC, so I'll take your word for that. So far I haven't found this makers' mark on any of the online silver related sites, so I can't corroborate what the Makers' Mark would have been.
One question I have, upon which you may be able to shed some light, is why would the sterling have Birmingham hallmarks? Did Charatan outsource their metal work?

 

[georged]

Almost freaky resemblance:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/more-and-better-pics-of-chris-asterious-billiard

 

[dmcmtk]

I have a hard time seeing the FC, so I'll take your word for that. So far I haven't found this makers' mark on any of the online silver related sites...

The same. Also, an interesting article here,
https://pipedia.org/wiki/Dating_of_Charatans
Mathias Acciai, who was at the time of doing the translation was living in Sardinia, and Alan Chestnutt put a lot of effort into it.

 

[sablebrush52]

I read through that article - much better though not as funny as the Google Translate version - and it's not a help here. There's just not much known about these pipes that is publicly available. The CP didn't get adopted until the 1920's, so that's correct.
EDIT: I did notice the strong resemblance to the Asteriou billiard. It's a very modern looking pipe.
One other thing I forgot to mention. Its joinery is advanced for the period. Many makers were still using bone screw-in tenons.

 

[mso489]

Impressive pipe.

 

[kenbarnes]

Did Charatan outsource their metal work?
Hi Sablebrush

Yes, I think they did and the biggest clue for me was seeing the way the silver band is burnished (rolled over the face of the countersink hole). This was something Reuben used to tell Barry Jones. “if you burnish it like this, it makes the band look thicker”. Charatans used to ‘roll them over’ like this in the seventies, so that tradition continued. In the 1970s Charatan were importing assorted silver bands from an American Company called Titman. They were, at the time, cheap thin bands which simply said sterling, (obviously, the Coronation, Achievement and Royal Achievement were fitted with much more expensive bands). These were really easy to burnish (roll over) and "did the job". At that time a staff member would simply go through the box, with 30 little drawers in it for each of the diameter sizes,find one suitable and place it on the end of the shank (with the sterling mark facing up and simply push it against a flat hard surface with 2mm remaining and roll them over with a 8mm round metal rod (with a handle). We did use Titman bands at James Upshall but I thought that I could source better ones and I then took batches of pipes to Les Wood (L&J Silverware)to be banded at his workshop in Carpenters Road in Stratford, London.

I have a hard time seeing the FC.

As I mentioned earlier the two photos above showing the FC stamp shows an oval and in it a vertical line on either side of the FC. It is definitely there although my photography skills still need perfecting.

 

[andystewart]

I'll go and ask John Marshall of Millville Pipes when I'm back in town tomorrow. He used to be a craftsman for Charatan and his Dad was Managing Director for a number of years. John still has all of the original Charatan plans and blueprints, so may be able to help. I'll post once I've spoken to him.
Andy

 

[kenbarnes]

Thanks Andy, that sounds very interesting.

 

[jvnshr]

Now sir, this is one amazing pipe. So simple and elegant.

 

[ssjones]

Dave: Thanks for the link to the pipedia article on dating Charatans, I had not seen that one!

 

[kenbarnes]

here is the link on ebay from where I bought it. I paid £90 approx $130.00 for it although it says £99.If you notice from Beau's site (other items from Valtrane)you will see that the 2 Charatans she has for sale there came from the same collector. Beau, the owner said she could recognise that the residue left on the mouthpiece and the way they were smoked were indicative of the same smoker/collector!!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=172151912413

 

[sablebrush52]

Thanks for the link. It took a moment and then the FC became really apparent. So far, I'm not finding a makers' mark like this on any of the on line sites. I'll keep looking.

 

[kenbarnes]

Thank you very much sablebrush 52

 

[ophiuchus]

... and wow! Here it is! :D
The above link is to another pipe ... oh, sablebrush52 has pointed this out already:

EDIT: I did notice the strong resemblance to the Asteriou billiard. It's a very modern looking pipe.

Really good catch on a beautiful Charatan, at any rate.