Ed Burak Connoisseur XL Smooth Oom Paul Estate Briar Pipe, American Estates

Description

Known as the “dean of American pipe designers” Ed Burak was not a pipe maker per se. Rather, Burak was someone who worked with the master carvers of his time to bring his distinct ideas of what a pipe could be to life. As the owner of the Connoisseur Pipe Shop, Burak designed freehand pipes so singularly representative of pipe making as an artistic endeavor, that many of the resulting works ended up in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

As I always say, if the Oom Paul didn’t exist, Ed Burak would have to invent it. In other words, while, the shape is highly traditional in essence, it’s also a very “Burak” shape, owing to its tall bowl, equally tall stem, and rollercoaster curvature. This rendition is one of the most traditional we’ve had from Burak, right down to its minimal finishing, which I would assume to have been a simple coat of carnauba wax.

The condition is generally good, with just a little rim darkening and slight handling marks. There are a few natural, cosmetic imperfections in the briar, which was typical of Burak’s aesthetic philosophy (one of never hiding flaws, or indeed considering them detractions from the artist’s work). One of these flaws is positioned on the rim, however, and does cut across it from outside to in. As Burak was happy to stamp his name on the pipe, I’d take that as meaning he was confident in the flaw not being an issue. I’ve adjusted the price to be very reasonable for a Burak to reflect it, in any case.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 2.21″ / 56.13mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g