BST (Todd Bannard) 2 Foot Grade Smooth Billiard w/ Imitation Horn Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

To call Canada’s Todd Bannard, the artisan behind Briar, Sweat and Tears (BST) pipes, a “cult favorite” would be a profound understatement. Like his fellow countrymen Michael Parks and Julius Vesz, Bannard’s work has demonstrated that, though Canada may have far fewer pipe-makers than its neighbors in the US, Canadian handmades truly are a matter of quality over quantity. Similarly to Parks especially, BST pipes are very difficult to get hold of, as they are snapped up as soon as—and, indeed, often long before—they are available for purchase.

There’s a reason why it’s almost impossible to buy one of Todd Bannard’s pipes. It’s not because he makes so few of them compared to many of his peers, nor is it that, for the most part, he sells them himself, without need for outside distribution (though there are a few rare cases where he has allowed this). Certainly these are contributing factors, but they’re secondary to the fact that Bannard simply makes excellent pipes. This billiard is an excellent example: the proportions are perfect, being neither too large nor too small, having a good sized chamber, and being lightweight enough for nearly anyone to easily clench; the “angel hair” straight grain around the bowl is so tight and uniform that its individual strands almost blend into one another; and it’s finished in a very traditional, early 20th century manner, with just a light, near-natural top coat paired with its hand-cut, imitation horn-inlaid ebonite stem. On the other hand, this is a “two foot” grade grade piece by Bannard, making it a little “extra special.” Such grades have only been used on BST pipes of even higher quality than others, ascending from one foot to three.

This pipe is completely unsmoked and comes with its original “Sasquatch” sleeve.

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.81 / 20.57mm

Bowl Depth: 1.55″ / 39.37mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 32g