Dave Neeb Magnum Smooth Cherrywood Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Dave Neeb spent the first part of his life as an attorney. Upon retiring, however, he turned his hand to an altogether different vocation: pipes. First, Neeb was a pipe seller; he then learned the art of pipe restoration; finally, under the tutelage of Lee Von Erck and Rad Davis, he took up making artisan pipes himself. This continued for many years, with Neeb’s restoration of high-grade pipes being practiced side by side with the crafting of his own – pipes that deservedly amassed a cult following. Eventually, Neeb retired from pipe restoration and sales, but his pipe-making endeavors are, to the relief of many a smoker, not over yet.

This is the largest Dave Neeb we’ve carried so far, and it does not disappoint. At around 7.5 inches in length, and with a 2 1/2 inch deep chamber, I’d call it a magnum-sized pipe, with a long, slender stem that could also push it into churchwarden, or at least demi-warden, territory. The shaping is freehand in constitution, but the shape itself blends elements of the cherrywood, the Dublin, and the stack, especially as far as the bowl is concerned. I would assume part of the rationale for the size of the bowl had to do with a particularly excellent piece of briar, as the bowl is surrounded by straight grain patterns from base to rim. These patterns and their light brown stain are complemented nicely by a hand-cut, tan-camo swirl ebonite stem.

Details:

Length: 7.5″ / 190.5mm

Bowl Width: 0.84 / 21.33mm

Bowl Depth: 2.54″ / 64.51mm

Weight: 2.8oz / 80g