Ropp: Heritage Sandblasted (355) Tobacco Pipe

Overall, Ropp's portfolio is dominated by rather svelte renditions of classic shape-chart standards, and while the Oom Paul is a traditional design, the French marque's "355" rendition is anything but reserved or diminutive. It's a massive interpretation of the fully bent form, with over two inches of chamber depth and a substantial presence in hand. As is characteristic of the Oom Paul, the "355" features a cylindrical bowl and an upturned shank that rises parallel to the bowl before transitioning into a bent stem for a comfortably balanced smoking posture that offsets the pipe's considerable size.

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.