HS Studio Sandblasted Brandy w/ Reverse Calabash Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

If you’ve been keeping up with the world of Chinese pipe making, their artisan scene has been really taking off over the last decade. Like the great Danish institutions of old, many of these pipes are produced in artisan workshops such as Zhiputang, Qi Studio, and GH Zhang. Hong Kong’s HS Studio follows a similar model, with a team of expert in-house carvers crafting high-quality briars in a variety of styles.

I’ve noticed that reverse calabash systems feature quite regularly in HS Studio pipe designs, though this one is something of a first, in my experience. For those who don’t know, a reverse calabash is essentially a widened chamber within the shank, whose extra volume allows smoke to cool and dry as it passes through it, following the same principle of a traditional calabash, where the hollowed section is within the main, gourd body of the pipe. Reverse calabashes can be incorporated into many different designs, though they’re most typical in stubbier shapes, especially pokers, pots, and billiard. I’ve not seen a reverse calabash incorporated into a shape like this one before, though. A decidedly organic, squat Danish brandy in the vein of someone like Jess Chonowitsch or Benni Jorgensen, this one’s relatively long shank is much thicker than usual, allowing for the aforementioned reverse calabash system. It’s very nicely done, too, especially with the crisp, slight contrast sandblast the pipe also wears.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It comes with its original sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.79 / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.27″ / 32.25mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 46g