American Estates: BriarWorks Classic Crimson Sandblasted (C151XL) Tobacco Pipe

The Oom Paul is a specific bent Billiard rendition marked by a tall, cylindrical bowl and a full-bent posture created by a heel that extends through the bottom of the shank and a dramatically upward-curling transition. BriarWorks' "C151XL" rendition accentuates the profile's striking curvature through an elongated acrylic stem that nearly doubles the pipe's profile, meeting the almost-vertical shank at nearly the same height as the rim. It joins the workshop's Cannonball shape as one of the most deeply bent designs in BriarWorks' portfolio, offering a wealth of chamber and muscular substance but remaining well balanced thanks to the form's notable bend.

As the name suggests, BriarWorks' Classic series comprises iconic, shape-chart standards and represents the workshop's standard-production lineup. While every BriarWorks stummel is carved on CNC (computer numerical control) machines based on pre-established templates for consistent shaping across renditions, the stem-fitting and finishing processes are entirely hand-applied by the American workshop's team of artisans: Pete Prevost, Bill Shalosky, and Micah Redmond. All three men are artisan pipe makers in their own rights, and BriarWorks' production model of combining mass-production processes with hand-applied, artisanal techniques results in modestly priced pipes with the engineering and aesthetic quality of handmade work. This particular example wears the workshop's Crimson sandblasted finish, offering rugged texture and a rustic persona.