Ropp: Etudiant Sandblasted (J08) Tobacco Pipe

A more rounded style of bent Billiard, Ropp's "J08" resembles a bent Egg with its supple bowl and slight taper toward the rim. While the transition poises the bowl upright, the shank arrow straight out back, the stem is lent a subtle Prince-like bend, balancing out the form when clenched and giving the bowl the appearance of a forward cant. It all combines for a softer profile than the classically firm-lined, English and French takes on the form — this rendition marked by gentle lines, an easy, elegant profile, and a rather abbreviated size overall.

In the Etudiant line, Ropp presents pipes that are fashioned from old-stock stummels sourced from the Chapuis-Comoy factory — like the French marque's Vintage, Vintage Stout, Vintage Superior, and Algerian Superior series. Etudiant pipes are designed to be lightweight, workhorse smokers, perfect for beginning and veteran pipe smokers alike, and offered at an attractive, budget-friendly price point. Paired to a jet-black, vulcanite stem, this particular one wears a chocolate-stained sandblast, fitting into Ropp's penchant for classic shapes and finishes.