Ropp: Honoré de Balzac Smooth (113) Tobacco Pipe

Plumply shaped and substantial in hand, Ropp's "113" is a soft-lined bent Billiard whose slender, curvaceous shank and transition accentuate the bowl's rotund presence. While the French marque typically caters toward more classically English and French designs, this piece hints at the Danish tradition in its supple shaping, particularly about the transition. While the profile is rather demure of line, the chamber size is anything but reticent, offering plenty of room for your favorite blend in anticipation of a lengthy, relaxing smoke.

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, auburn stain and accented by the line's flashy nickel accent band.