Thompson, Norm: Difference between revisions

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== Brief History ==
[[File:Norm_T_Catalogue1.png|thumb|First Edition Catalogue, Courtesy Andrew Stangl]]
[[File:Norm_T_Catalogue1.png|thumb|First Edition Catalogue, Courtesy Andrew Stangl]]
[[File:Norm_T_Catalogue2.png|thumb|First Edition Catalogue, Courtesy Andrew Stangl]]
[[File:Norm_T_Catalogue2.png|thumb|First Edition Catalogue, Courtesy Andrew Stangl]]


In 1863 '''Frederick Charatan''', a Russian / Jewish immigrant, opened a shop in Mansell Street, located in the borough of Tower Hamlets, London E1, where he began to carve Meerschaum pipes. These pipes got very popular soon, and thus Charatan moved to a bigger workshop in Prescot Street, just around the corner. Here he began to make briar pipes which should make the name famous the world over. Charatan was the first brand to make entirely hand-made briars from the rough block to the finished pipe including the stems. The nomenclature "Charatan's make" refers to this method of production and was meant to differ Charatan from other brands who "assembled" pipes from pre-drilled bowls and delivered mouthpieces.


Being the undisputed No. 1 in English pipemaking, Charatan was approached by Alfred [[Dunhill]] who was unsatisfied with the quality of the pipes he imported from France. During 1908 - 1910 Dunhill bought pipes from Charatan paying exorbitant prices to ensure he had some of the very best pipes for sale in England. In 1910 he lured away Joel [[Sasieni]], one of Charatan's best carvers, and opened his own small pipe workshop on 28 Duke Street.
Norman Anchor Thompson, Sr. (known as "Norm Thompson") was an immigrant from Britain. He had settled in Salt Lake City before fighting for Canada in World War I. After the war he lived briefly in Los Angeles before settling in Portland, Oregon. Norm Thompson started a mail order only business in 1949 as a way to sell his homemade flies for fly-fishing by placing an advertisement in Field & Stream. I understand tobacco products were sold via the mail order business, as well, to a limited degree. Around 1951 he handed over the mail order business to Peter Alport, his son-in-law. Alport worked to expand the company's product offerings beyond fly-fishing items and into clothing and other outdoor merchandise, plus he developed the company's slogan of "Escape from the ordinary".
 
Norm Thompson would go on to own seven pipe shops, the first one in 1959, and later two nightclubs, all in the Portland area. Norm Thompson Pipe Shops sold higher end pipes, from the likes of Dunhill, Charatan, and Savinelli. Norm Thompson died in 1968 from complications related to his exposure to mustard gas during his World War I military service in Europe.
 
The First Edition Norm Thompson Pipe Catalogue (right column of this article) was likely a publication that was a product of Peter Alport, as the slogan "Escape from the ordinary" (a slogan credited to Alport) is clearly seen in the publication. No date can be seen on the publication, but we conclude it is late 1960s to early 1970s. Of interest, is the evidence of collaboration between Norm Thompson and Charatan, with Charatan credited with making the Norm Thompson "Regent". This would have been during the Lane Era. It is also likely that Norm Thompson pipes stamped "Made in Italy" were a Norm Thompson - Savinelli collaboration.
 
[[File:Norm-Charatan.jpeg|500px|link=MediaWiki]]
 
A Norm Thompson-Charatan collaboration (above)
 
[[File:Thompson23a.jpeg|500px|link=MediaWiki]]


On the retirement of his father in 1910 '''Reuben Charatan''' took over the family business.
[[File:Thompson1.jpeg|500px|link=MediaWiki]]


In 1950 '''Herman G. Lane''', striving to expand his business in Great Britain, made contacts with the Charatan family. Apparently Lane got a certain influence soon, but it was not until 1955 that Lane Ltd. became the sole distributor for Charatan’s in the United States superseding [[Wally Frank]]. This can be documented in a “biography” written for Herman G. Lane titled “Leaves from a Tobaccoman’s Log”.
Norm Thompson pipes (above), likely made by Savinelli
(Photos courtesy of Steve Charbonneau)


Thanks to Herman G. Lane's dedicated labor Charatan became hugely popular in the States. As reported by Ken Barnes in an interview with Rick Newcombe, Reuben Charatan passed away in 1962, and his widow sold the firm to Herman Lane 1 or 2 years after his death.<ref>http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/pipe-manufacturer-retailer-spotlight/charatan-upshall-and-ken-barnes/</ref> In the early 1960s Charatan pipes were the first to overstep the $100 Dollar line in US pipe sales. In 1978 Lane's heirs sold the Charatan company to Dunhill. The Prescot Street factory was closed in March 1982. Thereafter the fame and quality of the make declined.


The pre-Lane period (prior to 1955) and the Lane era pipes (1955 to until sometime between 1979 - 1984) are of primary interest the collector. The Lane era is often quoted as beginning about 1950.
Article written by Steve Charbonneau (aka "Humblepipe")


Charatan records are almost non-existent before Lane due to a factory fire, making it difficult to date pre-Lane pipes. Charatan used 4 basic grades prior to 1950: Supreme, Selected, Executive, and Belvedere. After 1950 Herman Lane's influence began, and the grades started to expand. In 1955 Lane took over sole distributorship of Charatan in the US. In 1957 he introduced the Supreme S. Most of his other introductions were from the 1960s and early 1970s.
[[Category:Pipe makers by nationality]][[Category:United States]][[Category:Great Britain]]
[[Category:Italy]]

Latest revision as of 18:41, 30 April 2023

First Edition Catalogue, Courtesy Andrew Stangl
First Edition Catalogue, Courtesy Andrew Stangl


Norman Anchor Thompson, Sr. (known as "Norm Thompson") was an immigrant from Britain. He had settled in Salt Lake City before fighting for Canada in World War I. After the war he lived briefly in Los Angeles before settling in Portland, Oregon. Norm Thompson started a mail order only business in 1949 as a way to sell his homemade flies for fly-fishing by placing an advertisement in Field & Stream. I understand tobacco products were sold via the mail order business, as well, to a limited degree. Around 1951 he handed over the mail order business to Peter Alport, his son-in-law. Alport worked to expand the company's product offerings beyond fly-fishing items and into clothing and other outdoor merchandise, plus he developed the company's slogan of "Escape from the ordinary".

Norm Thompson would go on to own seven pipe shops, the first one in 1959, and later two nightclubs, all in the Portland area. Norm Thompson Pipe Shops sold higher end pipes, from the likes of Dunhill, Charatan, and Savinelli. Norm Thompson died in 1968 from complications related to his exposure to mustard gas during his World War I military service in Europe.

The First Edition Norm Thompson Pipe Catalogue (right column of this article) was likely a publication that was a product of Peter Alport, as the slogan "Escape from the ordinary" (a slogan credited to Alport) is clearly seen in the publication. No date can be seen on the publication, but we conclude it is late 1960s to early 1970s. Of interest, is the evidence of collaboration between Norm Thompson and Charatan, with Charatan credited with making the Norm Thompson "Regent". This would have been during the Lane Era. It is also likely that Norm Thompson pipes stamped "Made in Italy" were a Norm Thompson - Savinelli collaboration.

Norm-Charatan.jpeg

A Norm Thompson-Charatan collaboration (above)

Thompson23a.jpeg

Thompson1.jpeg

Norm Thompson pipes (above), likely made by Savinelli (Photos courtesy of Steve Charbonneau)


Article written by Steve Charbonneau (aka "Humblepipe")

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