French Estates: Ropp Vintage Smooth (275) Tobacco Pipe

Ropp represents the heyday of French pipe making, when Saint-Claude was home to dozens of independent pipe workshops and factories. Established in the second half of the 19th century by Eugène-Léon Ropp, the marque enjoyed decades of success and prestige before eventually changing ownership numerous times and, ultimately, closing its doors in the 1990s. However, the Ropp name was revitalized in the early 2010s by Sykes Wilford of Smokingpipes and Antoine Grenard of Chacom. The duo had discovered old, unfinished stummels in the historic Chapuis-Comoy factory in Saint-Claude and chose to release them under the Ropp moniker: a reflection of their French roots and vintage.

Ropp's current iteration is distinct from Eugène-Léon's original venture, but the brands share a similar ethos and style. Though finished and stem-fitted in the modern era, today's Ropp pipes were designed and shaped decades ago, representing French pipe design as it existed in the early 20th century and benefiting from briar just as old. Most Ropp pipes present sleek, lightweight proportions or chubby, compact dimensions, and many are paired to stems of genuine horn, furthering their antique aesthetic and honoring the their historic origins.