Ian Barnes Smooth Bent Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Ian Barnes was a Canadian pipe maker from Edmonton, Alberta. Technically, he still is, but he’s been on indefinite hiatus from pipe making for years. It’s quite unfortunate, really, as if you’re familiar with his pipes, they’re very nice. I’ve always said that what Canada lacks in quantity, so far as pipe makers go, they more than make up for it in quality.

In the case of this pipe from Barnes, it’s a really nicely carved bent billiard. One thing that struck me about it is that it’s not entirely traditional in shaping, but not typically “Danish,” or “Scandinavian” either. Instead, it’s got a little extra plumpness, combined with a very elegant, flowing quarter bent curvature. It struck me as more like German neoclassical handmades, such as those of Ingo Garbe, or some of Karlheinz Joura’s more subdued designs. The stem is an interesting addition, and certainly a departure from tradition as far as color goes, but it gels perfectly with the pipe’s light, orange-brown finish, almost to the point of resembling an all-briar.

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

Details:

Length: 5.4″ / 137.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.73 / 18.54mm

Bowl Depth: 1.49″ / 37.84mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 44g