Ben Wade: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:BenW_02.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Family Era Nomenclature]]The company was founded by Benjamin Wade in 1860 in Leeds, Yorkshire, where it was located for over a century. Ben Wade started as a pipe trader, but yet in the 1860's he established a workshop to produce briar pipes. The pipes were made in very many standard shapes - always extensively classic and "very British". Many models tended to be of smaller dimensions. Ben Wade offered a very high standard of craftsmanship and quality without any fills. Thus the pipes were considered to be high grade and a major competitor to other famous English brands. The often heard comparison to [[Charatan]] seems to be a little bit inadequate because those days' Charatans were entirely handmade.
[[Image:BenW_02.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Family Era Nomenclature]]The company was founded by Benjamin Wade in 1860 in Leeds, Yorkshire, where it was located for over a century. Ben Wade started as a pipe trader, but yet in the 1860's he established a workshop to produce briar pipes. The pipes were made in very many standard shapes - always extensively classic and "very British". Many models tended to be of smaller dimensions. Ben Wade offered a very high standard of craftsmanship and quality without any fills. Thus the pipes were considered to be high grade and a major competitor to other famous English brands. The often heard comparison to [[Charatan]] seems to be a little bit inadequate because those days' Charatans were entirely handmade.


In the II. World War the factory was destroyed by German air raids on Leeds. But the Ben Wade family decided to re-build it immediately after the war and pipe production was re-started soon and successfully linked to the fame from the pre-war years. Even though the owner family decided to leave pipe business and sell off the firm. The family went into negotiations with Herman G. Lane, president of Lane Ltd. in New York at about the same time as the Charatan family. Lane Ltd. bought both firms in 1962.
<gallery widths=225 heights=185 caption="An early example, likely circa 1890's, with case, beautiful silver work, and an amber stem, courtesy Doug Valitchka">
File:BenWadeAmber02.jpg
File:BenWadeAmber07.jpg
File:BenWadeAmber10.jpg
</gallery>
 
In the second World War the factory was destroyed by German air raids on Leeds. But the Ben Wade family decided to re-build it immediately after the war and pipe production was re-started soon and successfully linked to the fame from the pre-war years.  
 
Before the second war Ben Wade clustered their offerings into three price points: "Ben Wade" included the higher end pipes (eg the Larnix, Super Grain, Selected Grain, etc), "BW" included the mid-level pipes (eg Statesman, Natural Grain, County, etc), and "BWL" were the least expensive (eg Hurlingham, Adelphi, Tense Grain). Champion was in the last group, and in the 1930s at least retailed for 2/6.
 
The Champion disappeared during the War when the Ben Wade line was materially slimmed down, presumably to reflect difficulties of supply. The name continued to appear in brand directories st least through the early sixties, however it's unclear whether production was actually resumed.''Courtesy [http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/ben-wade-the-champion PipesMagazine.com]"
 
<gallery widths=225 heights=185 caption="BWL Ben Wade Leeds Hurlingham, courtesy Doug Valitchka">
File:BWL01.jpg
File:BWL07.jpg
File:BWL08.jpg
File:BWL09.jpg
</gallery>
 
Even though the owner family decided to leave pipe business and sell off the firm. The family went into negotiations with Herman G. Lane, president of Lane Ltd. in New York at about the same time as the Charatan family. Lane Ltd. bought both firms in 1962.


Herman G. Lane had been Charatan's US sole distributor since 1955 and Charatan always remained his pet child. But Ben Wade was treated in another way by it's new owner. The fabrication of pipes was reduced and the factory in Leeds was closed in 1965 finally.
Herman G. Lane had been Charatan's US sole distributor since 1955 and Charatan always remained his pet child. But Ben Wade was treated in another way by it's new owner. The fabrication of pipes was reduced and the factory in Leeds was closed in 1965 finally.


So this was the end of Ben Wade pipes stamped "Made in Leeds, England".
So this was the end of Ben Wade pipes stamped "Made in Leeds, England".
<gallery widths=225 heights=185 Caption="A Made in Leeds, England example, courtesy Doug Valitchka">
File:BWLeeds01.jpg
File:BWLeeds07.jpg
File:BWLeeds08.jpg
File:BWLeeds13.jpg
</gallery>


===A Charatan / Lane second===
===A Charatan / Lane second===
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Image:NobelPrize2000_04.jpg|
Image:NobelPrize2000_04.jpg|
</gallery></center>
<center><gallery widths=300 heights=200 caption="Ben Wade Nobel Prize 2000, courtesy Doug Valitchka">
File:BenWade NobelPrize01.jpg
File:BenWade NobelPrize02.jpg
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</gallery></center>


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File:BenWadeHandModel01.jpg|Hand Model
File:BenWadeHandModel01.jpg|Hand Model
File:BenWadeHandModel07.jpg|Hand Model Nomenclature
File:BenWadeHandModel07.jpg|Hand Model Nomenclature
File:BenWadeHandModelBlast01.jpg|Hand Model Blast
File:BenWadeHandModelBlast07.jpg|Hand Model Blast Nomenclature
File:BenWadeHM0Craggy.jpg|Hand Craggy Model
File:BenWadeHM0Craggy.jpg|Hand Craggy Model
File:BenWadeHM0Craggy2.jpg|Hand Craggy Model Detail
File:BenWadeHM0Craggy2.jpg|Hand Craggy Model Detail

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