Jared Coles Sandblasted Natural Almond (2025) Tobacco Pipe

American artisan Jared Coles grew up around his pipe-smoking grandfather, and, fondly remembering their time together, he decided to take up pipe smoking himself when he turned 18. It wouldn't be until several years later, during his studies at UC Irvine, that he would discover the world of artisan pipes. This sparked his interest in pipe making, and since that fateful encounter he has grown into quite the accomplished artisan. Coles draws on a variety of pipe-making styles from all over the world, resulting in an eclectic style that's still uniquely his own.

This Almond from Coles, for example, is his unique take on the Almond, a shape pioneered by American artisan Adam Davidson. In general, the shape is characterized by a sleek, forward-urging silhouette and svelte cross-section, and somewhat resembles an Acorn that's been horizontally compressed in an Opera-like fashion. This iteration from Coles is more Belge- or Egg-like throughout the bowl, with less compression of the flanks and a circular rim (as opposed to the lenticular ones found on Davidson's Almonds.) The forward-urging bowl is paired to a lithe, upswept shank-and-stem arrangement whose length and curvature promote a relaxed, comfortable smoking posture. Save for the smooth, slightly glossy rim, the stummel wears a warm, earthy sandblast: the perfect choice to accentuate the stummel's organic form and the briar's handsome grain.