I start nearly every pipe with the intention of making it smooth — even when it’s a commissioned blast. That mindset keeps me a better steward of the block in front of me. Even with that goal, only about one in five of my pipes finishes smooth, and maybe one out of every 25 or 30 reaches the level of a high-grade Voyager.
Nearly every block I’ve ever worked has had some kind of imperfection — fewer in high-grade briar, but even those can disappoint, and low-grade blocks can surprise you for the better. In a sense, we’re all just along for the ride, doing our best with what the briar gives us.
This pipe was on track to be a high-grade smooth. It was perfect—until it wasn’t. I spent longer than I should have trying to work around a small flaw in the cheek without compromising the shape, but in the end, it wasn’t meant to be. When I blasted it, a tiny pit opened into a pebble that left a not-unattractive spot in the cheek. If I’d kept chasing it, I likely would have lost the piece.
The near misses tend to yield the best blasts, and this one is no exception. The copper ring, formed into the plateau of the shank face, adds a quiet warmth that pairs beautifully with the texture and grain. The military mount mouthpiece works as an extention of the shank undulating and moving with the plateau to keep the feel of the pipe. There’s always a silver lining when the briar reveals something more striking than planned—and this one certainly did.
Stats and Details:
Length: 6.48” / 165 mm
Weight: 1.7 oz / 48 g
Bowl Diameter: 0.78” / 20 mm
Bowl Depth: 1.72” / 44 mm
Stem Material: German Ebonite
Sorry, this pipe is no longer available.
