Ropp: Algerian Superior Prince Tobacco Pipe

Ropp's classic style is often manifested in a streamlined, slender approach to shaping, usually resulting in shape chart standards rendered in slightly more svelte proportions. The Prince shape, though, naturally fits into that aesthetic, the design already being inherently elegant. The particular piece is an archetypal rendition of the traditional form, marked by a bulbous, squat Apple bowl lent more prominence by the sleek shank and slightly bent stem.

Like the Vintage line, Ropp's Algerian Superior series boasts stummels that were found at the Chapuis-Comoy factory. Turned decades ago but never finished, they showcase old-school shaping and a traditional, chestnut stain fitted to an ebonite stem for a classic appeal. Unlike Ropp's Vintage pipes, Algerian Superior pieces are presented only in a smooth finish, having been sourced from select-quality Algerian briar that's free of fills, similar to the Vintage Superior series, which pairs smooth-finished, fill-free stummels to horn stems.