Herriot Pipes Partially Rusticated Nosewarmer Pot Handmade Briar Pipe, 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 (himself a former student of Pierre Morel and Tom Eltang), spending several days each week laboring in Nuttens’ Charpey workshop, and the rest of his time in his own.

Given Chris Herriot’s proximity to the Anglo-French heartlands, as well as having Bruno Nuttens as one of his mentors, it’s unsurprising that he has a deep affinity for classic shapes. Since his earliest output as a pipe maker, 20th century briar staples have been his bread and butter, and indeed it is his renditions of billiard, Dublins, and similar that first brought him into the mainstream. Sometimes these pipes are finished in a very traditional manner, whereas other times they wear a far more modern dress.

In the case of the latter, a signature aesthetic of Herriot’s can be found on this pipe. Ostensibly a short, lightweight pot in the early 20th century vein, the pipe wears Herriot’s sharp and stony rusticated finish, with a contrast-lit deep burgundy finish to further accentuate its rich texture. This is coupled with a hand-cut mouthpiece of a swirling, mint-green hue. On paper that might sound a little over the top, yet in reality the combination works surprisingly well, earning it a place as a staple in Herriot’s output.

Details:

Length: 4.9″ / 124.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.80 / 20.32mm

Bowl Depth: 1.37″ / 34.79mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 32g