Rattray's: Monarch Sandblasted (18) (9mm) Tobacco Pipe

The most proportionally muscular and dramatically tapered straight Brandy in Rattray's portfolio, the "18" presents a broadly splayed waist with a crisp taper toward the rim. I find that the Brandy shape is one of the most ergonomically comfortable of classic shapes with the degree of upward taper directly proportional to that in-hand comfort. As such, Rattray's "18" conforms exceptionally well to wrapped fingers, and it remains visually balanced thanks to the stout shank matching the heartiness of the lower bowl.

Rattray's Monarch series commemorates the royal houses of Scotland, from the first King of Alba, Kenneth I, to Queen Anne of the Royal House of Stewart. The series is presented in three distinct finishes across a variety of shapes. Each pipe in the series is fitted with an eye-catching amber-hued acrylic stem and regal metallic accents at the shank end and stem base, evoking the look of a spigot mount but with a standard mortise-and-tenon arrangement and giving each piece a refined air in fitting tribute to its namesake. Like many Rattray's pipes, these are drilled to accommodate a 9mm filter.