Would Someone Be Able to Date This Charatan?

[ywainthebastard]

Hi there fellow pipers, something has been boggling my mind since I bought this Charatan Special. I've tried to establish a date by following guides but I haven't come up with a foolproof answer. If someone of you gents would be willing to have a look it would be interesting. Here are a few photos of the key elements that should help:

 

[woodsroad]

She’s pretty. But I’m slready married.

 

[ywainthebastard]

@woodsroad That's a shame! Oh well, I guess I'll take the burden on me. It already stripped me out of cash anyway, what's to fear?

 

[wyfbane]

I'd take her to lunch, maybe a movie. Couldn't call it a date, as I am also married...
The Charatan is pretty new looking to me, based on the stem stamping, but I am certainly no expert.

 

[georgebmcclelland]

Darn, I was so stoked to do the date joke but it already happened.

 

[sablebrush52]

Send a PM to Ken Barnes, who's a member here. He trained at Charatan under Barry Jones and would likely be able to help you.

 

[ywainthebastard]

@sablebrush52 Thanks! Do you happen to know his profile name?

 

[paulfg]

suprisingly enough its "kenbarnes"

 

[ywainthebastard]

@paulfg Weird, I tried searching it but I had no results coming up. Thanks a bunch!

 

[seldom]

Ken Barnes gave me some very insightful information, including date, about one of my pipes through this forum. Here is that thread: who-is-the-charatan-historian-on-the-forum

 

[jpmcwjr]

And here's another link to a thread that Ken has participated in, so you just click "Send Private Message" and Bob's your uncle. LINK is HERE.

 

[kenbarnes]

Hello ywainthebastard. First of all welcome to the forum!

I have never heard of this 394DC shape and therefore this is the first time that I have seen it. I think that the Charatan stamping and the cp logo on the mouthpiece is in keeping with Charatan pipes of the 1970s. The quality and colour of the finish is also typical of this era. However, Charatan did not make this shape as a standard shape during my time (and my father's time at Charatan) i.e. 1966-1977 and I have not seen an Oom Paul like this from the 1950s-1960s either.

During my time at Charatan gold and silver mounts were always fitted before the pipes were stamped so that the stamp would be positioned fairly centrally on the shank. This band looks like it was mounted after it was stamped. Does the band have a hallmark or some initials?

My gut feeling is that it was made around 1978-1981. This was at a time when Charatan belonged to Dunhill and it may be that Dunhill wanted this shape included in the Charatan range. It may well be that the bowl was turned elsewhere - possibly France or Italy.

The dating clues are the stamping and the colour of this 'Special' finish. It is certainly in immaculate condition for the age and was certainly wrapped up well and 'put away' for many years.

Another dating clue would be whether the tobacco chamber is/was natural or blackened (pre-carbonised). I think it was around 1980-81 that Dunhill blackened the chambers of this Special quality. Is this pipe still un-smoked?