Ken Barnes

Ken Barnes and Barry Jones, courtesy Doug Valitchka

The pipe photo Ken sent to me in December 2018 when he wrote: "I have started to make pipes again since leaving James Upshall in 1989 and I thought it practical to link my new venture with Pipedia". Sadly, we did not manage to get that accomplished before his passing. Rest in piece, my friend Scott Thile

Ken Barnes - English Pipe-maker. Born 1955 and died unexpectedly in 2021 .

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.

• 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

• Charatan
• James Upshall

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