Pipe Tristan Ammonite Rusticated Poker Sitter Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

I used to say that Pipe Tristan’s Tristan Lefebvre was part of a “new wave” of “up-and-coming” artisans from France, the very birthplace of the briar pipe. But that description doesn’t do him justice these days. Lefebvre isn’t so much a “part” of the latest generation of French artisans as the craftsman leading the charge; likewise, he is no longer “up-and-coming,” but has already secured himself a place alongside historic compatriots such as Alain Albuisson, Paul Lanier, and Pierre Morel Sr and Jr. Lefebvre does still, however, credit the same major influences upon his pipe-making. These include as modern greats from Italy and Denmark like Castello and Tom Eltang, as well as more unique sources of inspiration, such as the centuries-old hunting pipes native to Germany’s southern Bavarian region. As such, Tristan is equally at home crafting his own spin on the ’55,’ the hawbill, or the Danish Dublin, as he is reviving the Ulmer Kloben – when he isn’t inventing his own shapes, that is.

The poker is a pipe shape whose popularity seems to come in waves, sometimes moving to the forefront of smokers’ interests, and other times receding into the background amidst the emergence of other more novel, modernist designs. Yet, like the cutty and the billiard, it never truly goes away, and for good reason: it is eminently functionalist, which is why, for example, it is a staple within Tom Eltang’s output. In other words, so long as the internals are sound, it’ll never let you down. Having handled dozens of Lefebvre’s pipes at this point, my faith in his engineering is unwavering. From the drilling of the draft hole, to the cut of the stem, to ensuring that the proportions are balanced in a way that allows the pipe to be a sitter (or setter) without assistance, it is dead-on. It is not only high-end in its functional properties, however. It is also nice to handle and to look at. Regarding the latter, the pipe is dressed in Tristan’s signature Ammonite rustication, which is inspired by fossils of prehistoric marine life, and its sandy stain is complemented by a hand cut cumberland stem.

 

Details:

Length: 5.4″ / 137.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.79 / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.98″ / 50.29mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 40g