BriarWorks: Classic Dark Rusticated with White Stem (C131) Tobacco Pipe

Though part of BriarWorks' Classic series, the "C131" bent Pot is a distinctive variation on the traditional Anglo-French version. Most notably, it presents a dramatic sinuosity through the shank and stem and further dramatizes the relative proportions between bowl and shank. Instead of simply angled, the shank curls upward, adding further curvature to the silhouette and balancing the stem's recurve, and such fluid shaping is juxtaposed starkly against the bowl's comparatively stolid and muscular design. As every Pot should be, the BriarWorks "C131" is a delightfully hearty shape, with a palm-filling bowl that embodies the workshop's signature muscular shaping style and houses a broad chamber for favorite blends.

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 Dark rusticated finish, offering a crisp, wire-brushed texture.