Becker: Sandblasted Strawberry Wood Apple (Four Clubs) Tobacco Pipe

Even a shape as inherently soft as the Apple can benefit from the sharp, signature Becker style of heel seen here, lending this modern take on the old classic a slightly firmer and considerably more forward look. Fittingly, this is also a pipe that represents the Becker tradition of embracing alternative mediums with gusto, the stummel being not only fashioned from strawberry wood, but strawberry wood left in a virgin state; as with briar, such an unstained finish calls for a certain confidence with the material, since any natural flaws would stand right out. Of course, most smokers simply enjoy these finishes on account of the way they readily allow the pipe to develop a charming patina over time and with enjoyment.

- Eric N. Squires