Tonni Nielsen is the finest Danish pipe maker who lives in Kentucky. Part Viking, part frontiersman, Tonni is definitely more comfortable with a Viking long boat than he is with a Kentucky long rifle, which is definitely a good thing in a pipe maker. Regardless, three excellent pipes await, including a large, very impressive elephant's foot and two lovely smaller pieces. I'm quite taken (surprise, surprise) with the two smaller pipes, especially the reasonably priced brown stained bent dublin.
Defiantly architectural, highly structured, and beautifully grained, Peter Matzhold has been making pipes for decades and has been a Smokingpipes.com mainstay for six or seven years now. These three pipes are great examples of why Peter has developed the reputation for thoughtful, intelligently designed shapes and, of course, amazing grain. It's almost impossible to have a discussion about Peter Matzhold without someone saying, "and the guy gets amazing wood." And that's so true; the vast majority of his pipes are smooth, and almost every one sports grain that would make most pipe makers blush. Check these three out: two smooth pipes and a blast offer up Peter's unique combination of interesting shaping and impressive grain.
Two Satous make up this little batch from the much loved Japanese pipe maker. Smio Satou is best known for his urushi finish, a traditional, natural Japanese lacquer that, in the case of pipes, protects the wood, but still lets it breath, his bamboo work and his spectacular attention to engineering details. All three are presented here, and all three, along with beautiful, quiet, contemplative shaping, are why Satou has the dedicated following among pipe enthusiasts that he's enjoyed in the United States ever since his debut in this country eight years ago.
Smokingpipes.com Generalissimo-for-Life Sykes Wilford visited Claudio Cavicchi during his recent whirlwind "acquisitioning and foraging" tour of Italy, and it was little surprise to hear of Claudio speaking of artisanship trumping artistic pretensions when it came to pipemaking. That's not simply because he happens to have previously been a farmer, a trade which tends to breed pragmatism by its very nature, but rather because so many of the most skilled pipemakers seem to echo this belief. And Claudio is amongst those that are the best-of-the-best at shaping blocks of briar into beautiful and enjoyable smoking pipes, as today's offerings are sure to show.
The endeavor known as "Sarah Eltang", named by Tom Eltang after his daughter, is directed by one simple goal: Provide pipes of high-end quality in engineering, design, and shaping, at a fraction of the price normally attached to anything "Eltang". No doubt Tom's rather unusual genius with briar goes a long way to making this idea a reality. (And how many other pipemakers made their first briar at age 11?) Today's four coming up on offer, three gorgeous billiards and one bamboo-stemmed dublin, seem of themselves ample testimony that he's delivering as promised.
From the almost avant-garde angularity of one unusual bent dublin to the soft, flowing shaping of a bottom-heavy bent brandy, Poul Winslow's bottomless supply of playfulness in shaping briar continues with today's half-dozen count update. While he certainly has a certain distinctive style which makes his pipes recognizable, I've still found that you can never be sure what's going to be waiting inside when opening one of our cases when it has his name on it. The paneled bent dublin in today's batch is, I believe, particularly worth checking out - the bridseye entirely covering its continuous forward/underside plane is simply spectacular.
Peder Jeppesen, who once worked under the tutelage of the legendary Erik Nording, prides himself on seeking to, in his own words, "offer fine pipes, which can be afforded by average wage-earners". He is also, of course, the man behind Neerup briars. The fact that a batch consisting of a full dozen of his works are going up on one of the largest websites in the pipe-smoking community, based out of a coastal town on the far side of an ocean, on an entirely different continent, would seem to indicate that he's succeeded rather well.
Perhaps it's appropriate, given their German origins and precise shaping, but since their introduction to the Smokingpipes.com arsenal, Vauens have been selling with the reliability of clockwork. Today's little update sees a refresh to our supply of some of the shapes which have once again proven the quickest to find themselves sold out - the graceful "179" brandy sitter, the sleek "168" bent billiard, the neat little "108" rhodesian, and several others. All of course feature the popular 9mm charcoal filter system, and all, most likely, will probably have disappeared once again by next Thursday.
Working from locally-sourced briar, Brebbia produces a wonderful variety of shapes. In today's update, for example, we can everything from the slender little Guilloche bent dublin in pocket-pipe size, to the full bodied, thick-stemmed Ninja Sabbiata author, from the big, bold, straightforward Jumbo billiard, to the rusticated curlicue of a First calabash. Remaining both distinctive and varied is a challenge whatever medium of expression one chooses, but it's good to see Brebbia is managing to do so quite well through these artful briars.
This Stanwell update is quite a special one, as the sixteen briars being put up on offer consist largely of shapes not seen since the 1960's. Stanwell has seen fit to resurrect them after a decades-long absence, and naturally we made sure to get a hold of some. They range from a compact, slender, pipe-pocket sized acorn, to a low, squat tomato, to the sleek and aggressive-looking "stretch dublin", with its elongated prow and trailing stem. All of them are quite novel, and we're quite sure they'll soon be going fast (perhaps the "speeding dublin", in particular).
Eighteen English and eighteen Italians are tied for top spot in this week's estate update. Which is good for both countries after their poor showing in the World Cup. And if that weren't sufficient, there's nary a Spanish or Dutch pipe to be found this week, so while they may have won and come second in that little World Cup thing, they've definitely had a poor showing in the competition that really matters...and of course, the Americans, true to form have a respectable though hardly impressive showing, though at least we beat Ghana this week...
The English are, as one has come to expect, quite Dunhill heavy, but between the late 1960s ODA Shell, the 1950s patent Bruyere, and the lovely 1970s Tanshell, the Dunhills have presented a rather impressive offense (unlike their football/soccer playing compatriots). At midfield, a handful of really neat mid-century odds-and-ends, from Sasieni seconds to an awesome BBB, support those Dunhills superbly. The Italians, attempting to recover from their footballing disgrace, present some impressive forwards, er, pipes from the likes of Claudio Cavicchi, Caminetto, Ascorti, Castello and Radice. The Danes field a nice little team of a dozen, including Bjarnes, Stanwells, a Nording, and an awesome older W. O. Larsen. With a KB&B Yellobole from the 1930s being the oldest player on the team (he's a little slow these days, but he has the experience), the Americans field a small, but impressive roster, including star midfielder Brad Pohlmann.
News for Thursday, July 29th, 2010 written by Sykes Wilford & Eric N. Squires.
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News for Monday, July 26th |
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Though small in number, today's Dunhill update is big on elegant, classic English shaping. From a fulsome, buxom bent brandy to a straight-as-an-arrow dublin, Dunhill has delivered. My two personal favorites of the lot, however, would have to be the drooping, richly-finished Bruyere bent pot, rich in a sort of lazy elegance, and the jaunty little Dress billiard - it's a "1111", which can be a very rare briar indeed of itself, but to find one in Dunhill's superb formal ebony-and-silver treatment? Well, let's just say that out of the 1,391 Dunhill briars in our records, this is the one, singular Dunhill Dress "1111".
From a warm-hued little straight pot of pocket-pipe dimensions, to an immense, freehand Underwood trailing a gracefully undulating stem, this update of Luigi Radice's wonderful neoclassical briars brings plenty of variety. We've even got both an almost comically stout stubby, and a morta bent chimney with enough chamber depth for two or three lesser pipes, as well as full-bodied tomatoes, and fit and lean billiards. It's a testament to just how skilled Luigi has become over the years, that he can turn every one out with equal deftness.
With today's Savinelli update, we see the introduction (or in some cases, re-introduction) of several series to Smokingpipes.com. There's the swirling contrast of the New Art, for example, the rich, dark finish of the chic Opera, the namesake gold-dotted stem of the Punto Oro, the mellow cloudiness of the long-absent Tundra, and the simple, warm beauty of the Laguna. The Prince of Wales, the Solaria, and the rather refined Silver all make an appearance as well. It's a full update, to be sure.
Along with a bevy the usual Donegal Rockies, Systems, and Kinsales, today's Peterson update further presents another half-dozen of the unique shapes from the new Writer's Collection series (in both sandblasted and rusticated finishes) as well as a number of the slightly older Castle series favorites, in their smooth-finished renditions. The Castles of course are a fine example of Peterson's unique series, but the new Writer's Collection briars themselves seem to be selling about as fast as we can put them up - unsurprising given the unique character Peterson has lent to each design.
Our Monday update of estates has proven to be a very good idea. It's one thing to be able to present new pipes, but you (our customer) never know what might pop up in an estate batch. The S.T.Dupont pipes, in our French section, are amazing bargains and really good pieces. Likely, there is always something nice to be found in the Italian area. We have a really stunning Castello that is unsmoked and has interesting carving detail. Sure, there are 9 great English pieces, but the Larry Roush is shining through the American section. The only way to acquire most pipes made before 2010, and previously smoked, is by checking out the goods offered twice a week on this site. Take a look; you never know what you might be missing.
We continue our Monday updating of cigars tonight with the distinctive blends of Kristoff. This is no "Johnny Come Lately" cigar brand. Kristoff has quietly and slowly gained a reputation in the industry for delivering a great cigar with unique taste at a price that is hard to find. Pay particular attention to the Ligero blend that is aged to smooth out the intensity of ligero leaving what they call a 3/4 full blend that is full of flavor. The Brazilian Maduro blend is another real treat for you maduro fans. Time to stock up your humidor!
Today we present three more fine jet-flame style cigar lighters from Lotus. The bodies' solid weight and the precise snap of these compact lighters' caps has the reassuring feel we all tend to subconsciously associate with any well-made mechanism. The electric-quartz ignition gives off a reassuring crack every time, igniting a steady, tight, wind-resistant blue flame. (And yes, they make that delightful woooosh sound, as well.) Each of course comes in its own sturdy presentation box, complete with owners guide and warranty.
News for Monday, July 26th, 2010 written by Brian Levine, Eric N. Squires & Adam Davidson
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