Butz Choquin Maitre Pipier Supra Smooth Apple Estate Briar Pipe, French Estates

Description

With its origins in an 1858 collaboration between Jean-Baptiste Choquin and Gustave Butz, Butz-Choquin ultimately become one of the premier smoking pipe companies in 20th century France. The brand is known both for its stylish variations on traditional English-French shapes and for its exploration of atypical and elaborate finishes. The brand is also known for its collaborations with celebrated French pipe-makers, such as Paul Lanier and Alain Albuisson, who made some of Butz-Choquin’s highest-grade pipes for the company.

Butz-Choquin made great, reliable factory briars in the grand old French tradition. But they also offered entirely hand-made pieces, including the Maître-Pipier series. Maître-Pipier is French for “master pipe-maker,” and Butz-Choquin weren’t kidding with this designation, as these pipes were made by genuine masters—who were, of course, the aforementioned Lanier and Albuisson. Though I can’t claim to know which of France’s master craftsmen made this one, it is certainly an interesting design. An unusual take on the traditional bent apple, the pipe is distinctly plump and supple in figure, with a “keel”-like protrusion at the front of the bowl that gives the effect of the shank continuing as it passes under the bowl and reaches its fore.

The condition is very good. Some darkening and slight scratches on the rim.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.81 / 20.57mm

Bowl Depth: 1.55″ / 39.37mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 44g