Charatan's Make Achievement Bent Dublin Tobacco Pipe

Charatan is a venerable name in the pipe-making world, and its roots trace back to 1863, when Frederick Charatan founded the business after emigrating from Russia to England. One of the first pipe workshops in England, Charatan got its start producing meerschaum pipes. Enjoying great success in this endeavor, they soon found the need to relocate to a larger workshop; it was at this larger workshop that they began to carve briar pipes. Charatan became the first marque in England to hand-make briar pipes from start to finish, starting with a raw block of burl and a vulcanite blank. They coined this process with the now-iconic stamping of "Charatan's Make."

This bent Dublin hails from Charatan's Achievement line, which is exceedingly rare, having made its way to Smokingpipes only one other time. As such, this offering is sure to entice fans of Charatan, or of any finely made English pipes. In terms of shaping, it's almost Acorn-like, with a subtle hint of plumpness just below the flat, crisp rim. The transition is quite close-knit, and the shank-and-stem arrangement rather checkmark-like in profile. The high-kicking shank and well-bent stem no doubt offer a comfortable, easy smoking posture, and the tall bowl houses plenty of chamber space for some choice tobacco. The bowl's tall walls also afford plenty of real estate to show off excellent flame grain, which is emphasized by a smooth, chestnut finish that exudes timeless elegance.

— Jenna Wasserman