I’ve mentioned a few times how much I love Charatan’s pipes, but I’ll be honest — it’s one of those brands where the era matters a lot. The quality differences are pretty linear too: the earlier the pipe, the better it tends to be. For me personally, the last “viable” era is the first Dunhill era in the late 70s / early 80s.

This gorgeous Special 61 falls into the Reuben’s era (1910–1955), which makes it roughly 70–115 years old.

And believe me — you can feel the briar quality the moment you pick it up. It’s unbelievably lightweight, especially for its size, and I’d bet it’ll end up being one of the best-smoking pipes you’ve ever owned.