Ken Barnes
Ken Barnes - English Pipe-maker. Born 1955 and died unexpectedly in 2021 [1].
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Ken started his pipe making career at age 13 at the Charatan factory in London during school holidays and at 16 worked in the Charatan shop in Jermyn Street, London.
From 1973-1977 he was trained at Charatan in the art of pipe-making by craftsman Barry Jones and Joan Nicholson, both of whom worked with Reuben Charatan in the 1950s. In 1978, two years after the Dunhill takeover of Charatan, he formed his own pipe manufacturing company with Barry Jones called The Tilshead Pipe Co. producing James Upshall Pipes. He ran this company for 11 years and sold his shares in 1989.
In 2016, after a 27-year break from pipe-making, Ken had the urge to make what he referred to as,
"a few really fine high-grade English classical shapes"
Ken was making these pipes in Cornwall, England in the years proceeding his untimely death. [2]
- The following pipes are among those made by Ken in these later years of his wonderful pipe making career, courtesy Scandpipes.com
Bent Dublin
Bent Dublin Front
Rough Top Dublin
Rough Top Dublin Front
Rhodesian
Straight Dublin
Tall Billiard
On Site Links
Off Site Links
- You may also enjoy listening to Brian Levine's interview of Ken Barnes on the PipesMagazine Radio Show Part 1, February 9, 2016 and Part 2, January 3rd, 2017. Kennedy worked for Charatan starting at the age of 15, working for his father, who was managing director before the company was sold to Dunhill, and he then moved on to start James Upshall with Barry Jones.
- Interesting article by Rick Newcombe that includes his visit with Ken Barnes: Charatan, Upshall and Ken Barnes