School me on Ben Wade Preben Holm Matt Original Hand Made Pipes

[Briar Lee]

I’ve never been poor, but I’ve always been afraid I might be.

Once a year I decorate an unmarked sand stone at Lindley Prairie cemetery my folks said marks the grave of a good hillbilly boy that starved to death during the Drought of 1901. That and other stories about extreme privation and want, tend to limit my pipe purchases to about $100.

But ever since college I’ve wanted a big hand made Preben Holm pipe, in the traditional pick axe Danish shape, and today I splurged $125 for this one marked as a Matt Original Handmade in Denmark.

It’s a bit pretentious to smoke while decorating the graves of one’s ancestors who worked and toiled through a century’s worth of droughts, wars, and depressions so as a fortunate offspring I can enjoy all the fruits of their labors.

But on my back deck I’ll be very proud of my own Ben Wade Preben Holm Matt Original pipe.

What is the back story on these pipes, and who was Matt?

 

[sablebrush52]

I’ve never been poor, but I’ve always been afraid I might be.

Once a year I decorate an unmarked sand stone at Lindley Prairie cemetery my folks said marks the grave of a good hillbilly boy that starved to death during the Drought of 1901. That and other stories about extreme privation and want, tend to limit my pipe purchases to about $100.

But ever since college I’ve wanted a big hand made Preben Holm pipe, in the traditional pick axe Danish shape, and today I splurged $125 for this one marked as a Matt Original Handmade in Denmark.
View attachment 105979View attachment 105981
It’s a bit pretentious to smoke while decorating the graves of one’s ancestors who worked and toiled through a century’s worth of droughts, wars, and depressions so as a fortunate offspring I can enjoy all the fruits of their labors.

But on my back deck I’ll be very proud of my own Ben Wade Preben Holm Matt Original pipe.

What is the back story on these pipes, and who was Matt?

Holm, Preben - Pipedia

pipedia.org

Mat is not a he.

 

[Briar Lee]

Is Matt a city or place in Denmark?

Why is a Matt Original at least half the cost of other Ben Wade Preben Holm pipes?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Is Matt a city or place in Denmark?

Why is a Matt Original at least half the cost of other Ben Wade Preben Holm pipes?

Depends on where you buy them they can be below $100 or over $200 and not all Danish Ben Wades were carved by Preben himself.

Holm, Preben - Pipedia

pipedia.org

Mat is not a he.

I own the second volcano shown on that site. Still unsmoked.

 

[tobefrank]

Is Matt a city or place in Denmark?

Why is a Matt Original at least half the cost of other Ben Wade Preben Holm pipes?

Matt is probably just the finish, as in ‘not shiny’.

 

[Briar Lee]

Matt is probably just the finish, as in ‘not shiny’.

That’s what I was thinking, except the pipe appears as well polished as any Lee was in the glory years.

It’s not the same Cadillac high gloss shine as my 1970’s Nordings, perhaps. I’ll see it better when it arrives.

Somebody school me on different grit polish finishes. I have a micro mesh polishing kit on a slow boat from South Asia that goes up to 50,000 grit, I believe.

The Matt Original on the Pipedia page for Ben Wade has some little amount of carving, probably to disguise some flaw that needed filled. I don’t see any on mine but again, I’ll see why this genuine Ben Wade Preben Holm in high condition was only $125. Holm had about 20 employees, so at best Preben Holm was just peeping over one’s shoulder that made mine.

Last month I bought a beautiful new production Grade 1 Nording. It was smaller by a ways than my old ones, and it didn’t say Hand Made Eric Nording, only Made in Demark.

For $85 it was a bargain.

But it made me appreciate my old ones even more.

 

[PipeIT]

Noticed my Signature before?

I’ve read as much as I can find about Preben, and there isn’t much out there. Don’t quote me 100% but I think it has to do with Finish/Grain, Briar quality etc...

You know who would be maybe the only living expert on Preben?

Poul Winsløw

Winslow use to be Preben’s formen working for him, if you didn’t know, so I’d assume if anyone knows he’d be the man, and for much more Preben history too.

Maybe contact him, and see if he’ll share some knowledge about the man? Hmm ?

https://www.winslow-pipes.com/

 

[Briar Lee]

Noticed my Signature before?

I’ve read as much as I can find about Preben, and there isn’t much out there. Don’t quote me 100% but I think it has to do with Finish/Grain, Briar quality etc...

You know who would be maybe the only living expert on Preben?

Poul Winsløw

Winslow use to be Preben’s formen working for him, if you didn’t know, so I’d assume if anyone knows he’d be the man, and for much more Preben history too.

Maybe contact him, and see if he’ll share some knowledge about the man? Hmm ?

https://www.winslow-pipes.com/

I emailed Poul Winslow and asked him what a Matt Original was, and he kindly replied:


Hi Ye I made a lot of Ben Wade fancy and PH Fancy In mat and a lot of diffrent Finches
BR Poul W.

So that tells me, that a Matt Original is a matte original.

It should arrive Thursday, and I’ll write it up more then.

 

[RonB]

They are very interesting looking pipes and I think attractive although some may disagree. I read that this style was very popular in the 1970’s - 1980’s. Maybe that’s why I like them haha. I’ve bought a few recently.

there are a number of older threads on here about PH and Ben Wade pipes if you do a Google search under those names and pipes magazine.

 

[Briar Lee]

About 1978 I bought a Grade 3 large Nording, for almost $40, I still have. There beside it in the pipe shop were Ben Wades and Grade 1 Nordings that were a hundred bucks. My Grade 3 Nording has one ripple on the side, that saved me a chunk of money then.

I think a large freehand is almost the ultimate smoker, the best being very large bent pipes with water wells. My latest Jack H. Weinberger freehand holds a third of an ounce, about nine grams, of tobacco.

Such super jumbo pipes smoke long and cool, but are a bit much to walk around with.

 

[bayareabriar]

Besides the pipe, I enjoy your appreciation of the ones that had less before us. My grandfather born on 1920 was separated from him family of 12 because they were too poor to feed everyone during the depression; also from Missouri. I think understanding what they experienced can bring wealth to the generations though. As generational wealth can be passed along, so can generational debt. So be the one to remember their stories and sacrifices but don’t pass along a poor mindset (not implying that you are). Let us know how it smokes.

 

[pappymac]

About 4 years ago I found three Preben Holm pipes at a junktique shop just a few miles north of Meridian, MS for $40 each. One was a Preben Holm Delight and the other two were Ben Wades by Preben Holm - a Royal Grain and a Martinique. I was talked into selling the Martinique but still have the other two.

I really enjoy smoking them but the Delight has an area near the bottom of the bowl where it gets hotter than I like and the briar has darkened.

Still, if I found another Preben Holm or Ben Wade by him for a good price, I would consider buying them.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I feel for anyone named Ben Wade.

 

[Briar Lee]

My Ben Wade Matt Original arrived today and it’s ridiculously, wonderfully, awesomely HUGE!

It was made from a massive hunk of flawless briar. It takes about a half an ounce of tobacco, and it’s a fistful to hold.

The briar and stem have the gloss of the paint on a Seventies Cadillac Eldorado, and it’s stained a dark reddish brown. This pipe cost at least $125 fifty years ago.

I left it at home, because there’s no way I’d smoke it front of clients or my wife or assistants, it’s too showy.

You could load this up with Spark Plug and fumigate a house. This and my Austrian Hunter are the biggest capacity pipes I own.

My wife saw it and asked how much that beautiful pipe cost, and I said $125.

She said that’s as almost as pretty as that White Spot pipe you claimed you only paid $100 for last month. That White Spot makes you look distinguished, but you should be a university professor to smoke that new one.

There are still bargains online.

For every Smart Bruyere there’s a huge Preben Holm out there just waiting for a new home.

 

[condorlover1]

It's a lovely pipe, each to his own as they say!

 

[Briar Lee]

I took a drill and reamed out gunk from the shank and stem, then cleaned the airway with alcohol soaked pipe cleaners until they came out white. Then I cleaned the chamber with Everclear, and a twisted paper towel. When I used the alcohol soaked paper towel on the briar the wax came off and left beautiful, dull and almost matte finish behind.

Pipes do not look any better or smoke better than my Ben Wade Matt Original.

It’s a huge, massive pipe that hangs perfectly and clenches easily.

It’s a fistful of pure smoking pleasure, and I’m really proud to own this one.

 

[didimauw]

That is a stunning pipe. I only smoke more classic shapes, but a pipe like that is something that's on my future bucket list.

Edit: Are you saying that it smokes better than.....LEE'S????

 

[anotherbob]

hey if you ever become poor, you can trade that pipe for a hamburger. It's an investment.

 

[Briar Lee]

That is a stunning pipe. I only smoke more classic shapes, but a pipe like that is something that's on my future bucket list.

Edit: Are you saying that it smokes better than.....LEE'S????

As well as this jewel of a Rhodesian saddle bit Lee Three Star:


Lee made pipes for men who wore suits.

That’s actually on the large side of what Lee pipes run. My Preben Holm probably takes three or four times as much tobacco.

But of evening a huge Danish full of some Latakia blend I’d never smoke at the office is pure heaven.

I can put on my Bose headphones, and let Moon Mullican Pour The Wine:

Life is sweet, indeed, in my little corner of the Ozarks.

It’s been fifty winters since I watched my mother blow out the pilot lights on the central gas furnace.

And about thirty since my Mama put in a brand new central gas furnace and set the wood stove out in the milk barn.

We might need it again, someday, you never know.

 

[hauntedmyst]

I have a Golden Walnut on the way that looks more matte finished than your BL. My guess is that someone loved that pipe and polished it over time and now it's got an even lovelier finish. I have some clean up work ahead of me on mine.