Ropp: Honoré de Balzac Smooth (347T) Tobacco Pipe

Modeled after the clay tavern pipes of yesteryear, Ropp's "347T" calls to mind the days of pipe design before briar was ever discovered as a pipe-making material. One of the first pipe shapes, the Cutty poises an Egg-like bowl, canted forward and marked by a spur just below the transition. Such a style is executed handsomely here, making for a sleek, streamlined, and lightweight piece that's full of classic charm.

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.