Ropp: Vintage Superior Smooth (168P) Tobacco Pipe

Many of Ropp's pipes, excluding those in the Vintage Stout series, are marked by svelte lines and slender proportions, evoking the aesthetic of vintage French pipes of decades past. This "168P" Apple, however, offers a more robust and muscular demeanor than other designs in the French marque's portfolio. That said, it's only larger by comparison, displaying an even proportional balance between the bowl and shank and with a standard length for smoking convenience. Moreover, like all of Ropp's "P" shapes, it features a faceted motif, with the bowl composed of crisp panels for appealing in-hand structure.

Sourced from old stummels found at the Chapuis-Comoy factory, Ropp's Vintage line presents old-school, classic designs that were turned decades ago but never finished. This Superior piece is commended further, having been fashioned from select-quality, fill-free briar and is here dressed in a smooth, auburn stain. It's fitted with a stem of genuine horn, hearkening back to the style of mouthpieces from the early 1900s and accentuating the vintage motif to make for a thoroughly retro aesthetic.