English Estates: Charatan's Make Sandblasted Belge (87) Tobacco Pipe

Founded by Fredrick Charatan in 1863, the Charatan brand is most famously known as the first company to entirely hand-make briar pipes from the block to the finished product. The term "Charatan's Make" refers to the method of assembly that differentiated Charatan pipes from the rest of the world. Many Charatan pipes go against the grain when it comes to traditional English pipe archetypes, offering more dynamic designs than you'll find in other classic shape charts.

This "87" Belge from Charatan gives off an air of mystery thanks to its dark hues and various textures. Up front, the bowl is strongly canted forward, its walls rising from a firm heel to a flat rim. Down the bowl's angled aft and out of the wide transition, the rounded shank-and-stem combination begins its gradual taper to the button. The sleek black vulcanite of the mouthpiece juxtaposes the rugged sandblast along the stummel, while still pairing well with the dark tones throughout the whole pipe.