CHARATAN'S MAKE LONDON SPECIAL 348 - No reserve price - Pipe - Briar

The history of the manufacture is divided into several phases: Charatan family, Lane period, Dunhill period and subsequent production. Specialist sources further distinguish the Lane phases based on stamps and construction characteristics.
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Element of your pipe


What it indicates

CHARATAN'S MAKE


Traditional marking of the manufacture


LONDON ENGLAND


Declared English production


SPECIAL


Commercial grade


348


Shape number


Black stem with CP


Charatan logo, to compare with historical variants

My working hypothesis is a production between the 1950s and early 1960s, but I would not consider it a definitive dating.

The presence of the stem and the shape of the letters are fundamental. The CP logo thinner and with the C entering the P is associated with older productions; later versions have a more pronounced engraving.
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To narrow the period, one must check whether the stem is Double Comfort, whether the number 348 is followed by X or DC, and whether the Lane symbol is present.

2. Originality and conditions
6

From the photographs I note:

Grain with predominantly straight grain and brown finish.

Black stem apparently in ebony or vulcanite.

Normal superficial wear, with visible marks on the stem and on the rim of the bowl.

Inner chamber darkened from use, to verify for possible deep scorching.

I do not see sufficient elements to state that the stem is surely original. The correspondence of the shape and the CP logo, together with the fitting into the shank, is important to verify it.

The term Special identifies a commercial grade, not a very high-end line. In Charatan’s classification, Special appears among standard grades, distinct from the upper lines such as Selected and Supreme and from the subsequent Supreme S series.
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3. Indicative economic valuation

Preliminary estimate of your pipe

80–150 €

Range for an used Charatan Special, in decent condition and with original stem. This is not a certified quote nor a verified sale of the specific model 348.

Market references

A Charatan Special Dublin with City of London marking is offered by Smokingpipes at $230; this is a different example, with its own dimensions and conditions, so it is not directly comparable to yours.
Smokingpipes