Chris Herriot Smooth Oliphant with Plateau (New)

In 2003, one of France’s preeminent pipe luminaries, Erwin Van Hove, jubilantly proclaimed, “Hallelujah! One of the very best American artisans has recently settled on French soil.” Two decades later, Antoine Grenard, director of Chapuis-Comoy and president of the Confrérie des Maîtres-Pipiers de Saint-Claude, oversaw the induction of another artisan originally from the Anglophone world into its hallowed brotherhood. Van Hove was, of course, welcoming Trever Talbert. The Confrérie, on the other hand, was welcoming Chris Herriot. Parallels between the two are difficult to ignore; both were outsiders who laid down roots in France and, crucially, thrived by it. Both forged connections with the Francophone pipe community, developing friendships and associations that would help them lay the foundations of their respective brands. And both would build something on these foundations that garnered them significant national and international acclaim. In Herriot’s case, this meant apprenticing under Bruno Nuttens, spending several days each week laboring in Nuttens’ Charpey workshop, and the rest of his time in his own.

The Oliphant (also known as the Olifant) is one of the most legendary shapes within modern artisan pipe making. Essentially co-created by Sixten Ivarsson and Bo Nordh (each adding their own twists to their respective designs), it is equal parts distinctive, beautiful, and difficult to execute, on account of it being a rather supple, low slung, paneled interpretation of the horn shape. Since its creation, many an artisan has tried their hand at it, and it has also become a way for those artisans to show what they’re capable of. This one comes from the artisan Chris Herriot, who, in addition to his focus on Anglo-French designs, has displayed a pronounced affinity with “Danish” style pipe making over the last couple of years. In terms of style, it’s closer to Ivarsson’s renditions than Nordh’s, though it’s also quite different to either, not least in how it approaches the question of grain orientation. Herriot’s rendition keeps a clear focus on straight grain, which has the added bonus of allowing for a live plateau edge rim, in addition to the striking, contrast-lit patterning that flows outward following the contours of the bowl itself.

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.19″ / 30.22mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g