Matthew Evans
Active Member
Ordered a new pipe a few months back, been breaking it in the past week or two. Thought I'd throw a quick thought or two out here if anyone was thinking of getting one.
I mostly smoke stubby or nose warmer pipes, rarely longer than 4 3/4" long. I tend to smoke hot and fast, and generally put about a dozen bowls through a pipe each day.
When I saw the pipe I liked the look, saw the length was 4 3/4" and ordered it, thinking it was going to be similar to some of my other pipes, just chunkier. I was wrong.
This thing is a hefty chunk of briar! I've got large hands and it fills 3/4 of my fist up. It is a sort of reverse calabash, though the chamber isn't that large. The listing didn't mention it being a reverse calabash, and I'll likely make an insert to fill the chamber since it's easier to pass a pipe cleaner through if there isn't a gap between the stem hole and the bowl hole.
There was a little burr on the bowl hole going into the shank. I cleaned that up in two seconds with a chamfer tool after I realized it was catching lint and tobacco flakes, causing draw issues.
It sits nicely on a bench. The weight means clenching is not comfortable, so setting it down or holding it is needed. Holding it is comfortable though, the thick walls buffer the heat pretty well, and the design makes it nestle in the hand nicely.
The rustication is ok. Nothing to make you think artisan level pipe, but nothing to say scraping the bottom of the briar bin either. Same goes for the fit and finish elsewhere as well. The acrylic stem is well made, and the tenon is a great fit to the pipe, but the band is a little unfinished, and has a little gap at the shoulder of the tenon on one side where it meets the briar.
Overall, a great value, good buy, and worth buying for a working pipe. I think I'm more likely to use it days I've got lots of driving to do since I work with my hands, but I've used it out in the shop and enjoyed it immensely.
I think I bought it on eBay or Amazon for about $70.
Pictured full of old dark fired, and next to a typical pipe from my rotation. It's well over twice the size as my usual pipes.
I mostly smoke stubby or nose warmer pipes, rarely longer than 4 3/4" long. I tend to smoke hot and fast, and generally put about a dozen bowls through a pipe each day.
When I saw the pipe I liked the look, saw the length was 4 3/4" and ordered it, thinking it was going to be similar to some of my other pipes, just chunkier. I was wrong.
This thing is a hefty chunk of briar! I've got large hands and it fills 3/4 of my fist up. It is a sort of reverse calabash, though the chamber isn't that large. The listing didn't mention it being a reverse calabash, and I'll likely make an insert to fill the chamber since it's easier to pass a pipe cleaner through if there isn't a gap between the stem hole and the bowl hole.
There was a little burr on the bowl hole going into the shank. I cleaned that up in two seconds with a chamfer tool after I realized it was catching lint and tobacco flakes, causing draw issues.
It sits nicely on a bench. The weight means clenching is not comfortable, so setting it down or holding it is needed. Holding it is comfortable though, the thick walls buffer the heat pretty well, and the design makes it nestle in the hand nicely.
The rustication is ok. Nothing to make you think artisan level pipe, but nothing to say scraping the bottom of the briar bin either. Same goes for the fit and finish elsewhere as well. The acrylic stem is well made, and the tenon is a great fit to the pipe, but the band is a little unfinished, and has a little gap at the shoulder of the tenon on one side where it meets the briar.
Overall, a great value, good buy, and worth buying for a working pipe. I think I'm more likely to use it days I've got lots of driving to do since I work with my hands, but I've used it out in the shop and enjoyed it immensely.
I think I bought it on eBay or Amazon for about $70.
Pictured full of old dark fired, and next to a typical pipe from my rotation. It's well over twice the size as my usual pipes.
