Charatan - Milan 2014: Difference between revisions

'''Note:''' ''This is an excellent article submitted by Doug Valitchka. We need to find the source and credit it properly with a link back to the original and seek permission of the author to have it here on Pipedia.''  

= Introduction =

= ERAS =

The logical move would be to split Charatan's history into two eras, with 1962 as the dividing year, when Reuben's widow sold off the business to Herman Lane. Thus, the first era deals with the family, and the second with the firm's subsequent owners.  However, this would omit an important stage in Charatan's history, the time when Lane ran the business and although Charatan was no longer run by the family, it was still autonomous, while following Dunhill's purchase this was no longer possible and Charatan quickly became just a brand amongst others. Thus, we should really divide the history into three eras: the family, Lane, from Dunhill to Dunhill. In future a fourth era may be added: the family, Lane, difficult years and recovery under Dunhill, but the last era is really too recent to be able to consider it separately.  

== FIRST ERA: THE FAMILY  c. 1873 to c. 1962 ==

The two dates are to be considered approximate, as although it is known that the shop could not have been opened as early as 1863, it is also true that the year 1873 is also a rough estimate. On the other hand, we know that 1962 is the year in which Herman Lane bought the business, but it is also known that as early as 1955 or even the early 1950s Herman Lane was the sole distributor of Charatan pipes in the USA. Hence, 1962 is also an approximate year. The first era can be further divided into two periods:

=== First period: Frederick Charatan c.1873 - 1910 ===

Manufacturing was limited and a pipe was made to last a lifetime, so finding a pipe from this period is extremely rare. - Frederick designed a simple logo combining the initials of the words Charatan Pipes: a "CP" with the P slightly lowered and the bottom part of the C linking with the P. The letters are fine.   

=== Second period: Reuben Charatan  1910 - c. 1962 ===

   

While Herman Lane in the latter part of the first era had a certain influence on production and import to the US market, the business really took off when he bought the firm from the Charatan family, as he controlled everything now. However, initially changes were almost imperceptible, and it was only when Ben Wade closed down in Leeds and all machinery moved to London that Lane brought about some radical changes, paying particular attention to marketing. This is why it would be better to divide this era into two separate periods.  To facilitate classification each era will be divided into various periods in numerical sequence.  

=== Third period: Lane prior to Ben Wade closure  c.1962 - 1965 ===

These years can be considered a kind of continuation of the previous decade, as Wade increasingly influenced Charatan production without betraying Charatan's traditional spirit.  

=== Fourth period: Lane following Ben Wade closure  1965 - 1976 ===

The acquisition of the Ben Wade machinery brought about some substantial changes to manufacturing. Some "seconds" pipes still bore the Charatan logo, while others bore the Ben Wade brand logo. Some pipes were also commissioned to Willmer, the British manufacturers and Preben Holm, the Danish workshop. All these circumstances and others that we will add created considerable confusion and inconsistencies in production, and the distinctive precision of the previous "British Style" was a thing of the past.   

== THIRD ERA: FROM DUNHILL TO DUNHILL  1977 - present ==  

   

=== Fifth period: Dunhill I 1977 -1981 ===

=== Sixth period: Dunhill II  1982 -1987 ===

=== Seventh period: James.B. Russel  1988 - 2001 ===

== SUMMARY ==

We shall now continue our study from another point of view, by examining how the stem and shank have evolved over time: