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A brand with roots dating to the 19th century, Ropp pipes are made in the old Chapuis-Comoy factory, located in Saint-Claude, France, the birthplace of the briar pipe. Through Ropp, Antoine Grenard, who manages the historic factory, has revived old-school French shapes with vintage stummels and period materials, curating the rich heritage of French pipemaking.
In Ropp's Ruby line, the French marque combines a crimson sandblast with vintage horn stems. The aesthetic hearkens back to scarlet-stained classics of old French and English factories, mixed with retro horn mouthpieces. While the pairing of vintage stummels and horn isn't a new idea from Ropp, the Ruby distinguishes itself by presenting a more colorful palette and several new shapes, most of which feature bent stems.
More uncompromising than vulcanite or acrylic, horn needs both heat and prolonged pressure to ensure a bent shape holds, and no other Ropp series has utilized bent horn before. To make the bent shapes in the Ruby line, Antoine Grenard not only procured a vintage stem-bending machine from the Chapuis-Comoy pipe museum, but learned on his own how to operate the contraption (the only one in current use), fashioning these old-school-styled pipes using an equally old-school process.
On this episode of All Pipes Considered, Shane and I dig a little deeper into the Ruby line, casting an overview of the deep red finish and the old-school shapes available, while also shedding light on the stem-bending process itself. Any fans of the Ruby series or Ropp in general? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
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Comments
Great video...I've had my eye on these Ropp Vintage pipes in particular the Ruby line. The horn stems are classic and your info on how they are made make me even more intrigued...old school craftsmanship...on my wish list.