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How to Date a Charatan Pipe

Charatan pipes originated in 1863, invented by Frederick Charatan. Their history is of great fascination to pipe smokers and collectors; there is even a group dedicated to these pipes called the Charatan Collectors Society. Dating a Charatan pipe requires an approximation, as they have gone through much varied history, and those manufactured during the pre-Lane era have seemingly disappeared over the years. Due to the rarity of Charatan pipes, they are mostly for collectors' enjoyment rather than for smoking. You can approximate the age of a Charatan by examining a few characteristics.

Instructions

- 1
  Look at your Charatan pipe and examine it for the presence or absence of serifs on the "CP" logo stamp. Or, check for an "L" (for "Lane") on your pipe if it has a tapered or saddle bit stem, or if it has the renowned Double Comfort bit. Any pipes with these characteristics are from the post-war to 1960s era.
- 2
  Examine your pipe for a stamping that reads "FH" in block lettering. "FH" stands for "Free Hand," and if your Charatan has that stamped on it, it was made between the 1940s and 1958.
- 3
  Check for a date stamped on the right side of your Charatan. All pipes made after 1960 will have this feature.
- 4
  Check your Charatan pipe for the words "MADE BY HAND IN City of London" (with the first four words in capitals). Pipes had this stamped on them for only about six months in 1965. Afterward, Charatans had "Made by Hand in City of London" in script near the end of 1965 through 1979.
- 5
  Look for the initials "D.C.," stamped in a sloppy manner, on the pipe. It should appear at the underside right or left and may appear weakly stamped or even misaligned. These can be dated back to 1979, when Dunhill took over the Lane company that originally manufactured Charatans.

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