Rattray's: Dark Ale (107) (9mm) Tobacco Pipe

Like Rattray's "99" design, the Scottish marque's "107" is a compact bent Apple of stout proportions and Nosewarmer dimensions. The "107" is a touch longer, made more slender by the stretched saddle stem, but maintains a good deal of substance while being conveniently pocket-sized. It remains comfortable in hand, and the stout proportions of the shank do well to match the bowl's robust, low-set waistline — meaning there's plenty of insulation around the chamber and room to accommodate a 9mm filter in the tenon and mortise.

Inspired by the brown ales that originated in England and Scotland, Rattray's Dark Ale series presents pipes in a color palette similar to those dark beers. The smoky, dark walnut stain remains just light enough to still expose the briar's grain pattern, reminiscent of the namesake imbibement and not as dark as, say, a stout or porter beer. Complementing the smooth stain, then, is a cumberland-hued acrylic stem, the similarly dark hues separated by a flashy chrome band for handsome, accenting flash.

Note: While all of our other pipes are photographed individually, these are not, and you may expect some reasonable cosmetic variation between the example we've photographed and the pipe you've received.