Hilson Sandblast 108 XL Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, Belgian Estates

Description

Hilson is something of an outlier in the pipe world, in that it is a successful company not from England, Denmark, France, the USA, or indeed any of the countries typically associated with pipe-making. Instead, Hilson is a pipe company that began in Belgium. Hilson was founded by the Hillen family in Bree in the late 19th century and went on to achieve considerable success during the mid-20th, before being bought out by Dutch company Gubbels. Given its geographical location, it should be no surprise that Hilson’s designs bear a mixture of French, German, and Danish influence. Before his passing, legendary artisan Rainer Barbi also designed pipes for the Belgian make. 

Like another Hilson we had come in about a year ago now, this Hilson is a little different to most others. That’s because it is from around the mid-20th century, back when Hilson pipes were made in Belgium, where the company was founded. This was before Hilson was absorbed by Gubbels and production moved to the Netherlands. While Dutch-made Hilsons are very good pipes, Belgian-made ones are comparatively quite rare, so it’s always nice to see one. As for the design, it is just about exactly what the name of the line indicates: a black sandblast billiard, though one on the extra large side. It features some very nice ring grain that still pops out through its obsidian stain and a more than generous chamber.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening, slight over-reaming of the top of the chamber, and slight over-buffing of the base of the stem.

 

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.93 / 23.62mm

Bowl Depth: 2.07″ / 52.57mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g