Ropp: Heritage Sandblasted (354) Tobacco Pipe

Known for crafting pipes enriched with classic French style, warm, refined finishes and balanced proportions, Ropp offers a bent Dublin graced with all those elements in this "354" rendition, but with increased overall size. The tall, subtly flaring bowl houses a deep chamber within thick, insulating walls, and a flattened heel allows it to sit sturdily upright, making it a fine contender as a desktop companion. A high-set transition with a deep, Oom Paul-like bend is followed by a high-kicking shank and stem, the latter's bent saddle configuration promoting an easy jaw-hanging posture in this lightweight, nicely poised pipe.

Like all of Ropp's series, the Heritage features old-stock stummels sourced from the Chapuis-Comoy factory — all turned decades ago but left unfinished and without stems. The Heritage line dresses these stummels in a rich, chocolate-and-charcoal stain, revealing the briar's natural grain patterns in alluring contrast to offer visual intrigue while maintaining the French marque's traditional aesthetic. They're also fitted to vulcanite stems — unlike the horn mouthpieces of the Vintage, Vintage Stout, Vintage Superior, and Ruby lines — for a classic motif similar to the Étudiant and Algerian Superior series but with considerably increased overall dimensions.