Founded in 1863 by Frederick Charatan, Charatan pipes were unique among the English factories for their distinctive shaping. In 1910, the company passed to Frederick's son Reuben who controlled the factory until his death in 1960. Upon his death, the company was sold to Lane Limited, which was already acting as the US importer. The Lane era saw the creation of another Charatan distinctive, the double comfort stem. In 1976, the brand was sold to Dunhill. The English factory closed in 1982 and production was moved to France.

The freehand elements of Charatan pipes distinguished the pipes produced by Charatan from the more conservative shaping characteristics of Barling, Dunhill, Comoy's, and GBD.