Ropp: Honoré de Balzac Sandblasted (129) Tobacco Pipe

Churchwarden comfort combines with desk-pipe practicality in Ropp's "129" design. A tall Dublin bowl with a slightly raised rim urges forward from a neatly angled transition, offering a deep chamber for lengthy smoking sessions in your favorite armchair. Churchwardens are renowned for the relaxed smoking posture they promote, requiring little movement, yet such length can often make them somewhat impractical. This design from Ropp, however, features a flattened panel along the heel. It's angled for perfect balance, enabling this pipe to sit upright on a flat surface for resting ease.

Considered one of the founders of European realism, Honoré de Balzac was a French novelist and playwright whose work greatly influenced the likes of Charles Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, and Jack Kerouac. Ropp presents their Honoré de Balzac series, comprised of Churchwarden shapes, as an homage to the writer — quite the apt commemoration, as Churchwardens are considered popular reading pipes. Perfect for smoking while lounged in an armchair, the characteristically long stem ensures that attention remains on the pages before you, requiring little movement to smoke. It's a series marked by classic French shapes, rendered by a classic French marque in honor of a classic French literary figure, with this particular offering presented in a traditional sandblast and accented by the line's flashy nickel accent band.