Buckeye Hand Made Contrast Sandblasted Acorn w/ Plateaux Briar Pipe, New

Premal Chheda’s Buckeye Pipes have undergone several significant changes since their debut in the mid-2000s. Chheda himself was one of the first major players in 21st century American artisan briars, having been taught the fundamentals of high-grade pipe making by Mike Butera, and having had plenty of students of his own in the time since. Though Buckeye started out as an sub-brand for pipes that did not quite meet the standard of a pipe stamped with the Chheda name, the two would ultimately become different projects entirely. Today’s Buckeye Pipes are, instead, high-quality briars produced by Premal Chheda and his apprentices. The difference between a Chheda Pipe, or one of the pipes made by Chheda’s apprentices under their own name, and a Buckeye pipe boils down to the level of detailing involved: Buckeye Pipes are precision engineered and expertly finished, while being more minimalist in design and less labor-intensive in execution than their counterparts.

The acorn shape began life in early Anglo-French briars, though it was not until the post-war years that it became what it is today. One can trace its modern development to the Ivarsson family, with each successive generation adding a little more plumpness, resulting in the thoroughly ripe renditions of the contemporary artisan scene. This one, from Buckeye, leans further into the shape’s organic associations by way of live plateaux edge at its rim and shank end, and is dressed in one of the workshop’s expertly crisp, ring grain contrast sandblasts.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 2.01″ / 51.05mm

Weight: 2.6oz / 76g