English Estates: Charatan's Make Selected Acorn (Extra Large) Tobacco Pipe

In 1863 Fredrick Charatan opened up a shop on Mansell Street in London, thus the Charatan brand established its roots in the English pipe world. Charatan was the first brand to make entirely hand-made pipes, coining the term "Charatan's make," which refers to this original process of production, setting apart the name from commonly assembled pre-drilled bowls. In 1950 Lane Ltd became the sole distributor of Charatan's, causing the Charatan name to spread to the US. Eventually, the Charatan company was sold to Dunhill in 1978.

A large and robust piece, this Charatan's Acorn possesses a forward-canted bowl, its supple walls flaring from a sharp heel to a craggy rim freckled with plateau. The shank flares out from the transition and meets a demurely curved saddle stem of black vulcanite. Dressing the stummel is a smooth chestnut finish that highlights tendrils of flame grain along the bowl.