English Estates: Charatan's Make Perfection Billiard with 14K Gold Tobacco Pipe

One of the first pipe makers in England, Frederick Charatan founded his namesake workshop in 1863. He started with meerschaum pipes, then set his sights on briar as it became more available. Speaking of availability, most English pipe manufacturers at the time imported pre-turned bowls from factories in Saint-Claude, France, but Charatan hand-made his pipes from start to finish — this is where the "Charatan's make" nomenclature comes from. It wouldn't take long for the Charatan name to become synonymous with quality. In fact, before he started producing his own pipes, Alfred Dunhill himself even bought Charatan pipes to sell to his customers, striving to offer his clientele only the best pipes money could buy at the time. In a full-circle turn of events, Dunhill eventually purchased Charatan in 2002 after ownership changed hands several times starting in the 1960's. Today, the brand produces pieces of varying styles and shaping cues: some traditionally Anglo-French, others modern and bowl-centric or free-flowing. With its bold proportions and timeless finish, this Billiard falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum.

Handsome and stately, the bowl commands most of the attention when first viewing this piece. Promoting a comfortable, secure grip in hand is a rounded, muscular shank accented with a 14k gold band. On the other side of the luxurious accent is a wide saddle stem equipped with an extra pair of shoulders — Charatan's signature Double Comfort design. The stummel of this piece has been dressed in a rich, walnut stain that brings out the thoughtful orientation of the briar's grain.