Ropp: Buis Sandblasted (370) (9mm) Tobacco Pipe

Ropp's "370" shape is a rather lengthy and sinuous take on the Diplomat, the oval-shanked cousin of the iconic Author shape, and not a profile that's often seen within the shape charts of many marques. The aforementioned ovoid shank lifts gently out of a wide transition, with plenty of room left to drape a thumb, and tapers gently toward a demurely curved stem that's poised for comfortable smoking. One of the most recognizable aspects of both the Author and the Diplomat is its bowl, which has here been rendered with appropriate plumpness, its walls wonderfully rounded to promote plenty of comfort in hand. This bowl flares out from a softly lifted heel to meet a low-set waist before taking on an arcing taper to the rim, its visual weight balanced well by the stretch of shank and stem that follows it.

First released in 2023, the Buis series from Ropp is a fittingly named and distinctive line within the French marque's portfolio, offering elegant accents and 9mm drilling for pipe smokers who appreciate filters. In French, buis translates to "boxwood," and Ropp's eponymous series showcases trim accents of pale boxwood contrasted against the stummel's earthy sandblast for a traditional aesthetic that's elevated by a tasteful accenting touch. Like all of the French marque's fare, these pipes are fashioned from old stummels found at the Chapuis-Comoy factory — turned decades ago but not finished — and they've been fitted to jet-black vulcanite stems for a timeless motif that resurrects French pipe making as it existed decades ago.