J Mouton Smooth Opera w/ Fossilized Whale Spine Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

Born and raised in the small town of Gueydan, Louisana, Jason Mouton’s rise in the ranks of American pipe makers has been nothing less than meteoric—and for good reason. Having crafted duck calls since he was a teenager, Mouton’s first forays into pipe making began with carving tampers. Mouton’s unexpected and substantial successes with these handmade tampers encouraged and allowed him to purchase the equipment needed to create pipes themselves. Studying the works of renowned American artisans such as J. Alan, Grant Batson, and Jared Coles, Mouton gradually developed his own pipe making craft, which was furthered by his exchanges with Greek artisan Chris Asteriou. Today, Mouton’s works are some of the most sought after on the artisan market, a demand which he has responded to—and not unlike his beginnings in carving tampers—by reinvesting his successes into an unwavering advancement of his skills and technique.

Even the most “Danish” of the great Danish pipe makers have been particularly partial to a more “traditional” shape or two. Tom Eltang has his pokers; Former has his apples; and Sixten Ivarsson (albeit a native Swede) kept making billiards until the end of his life. And many of the international inheritors of the Danish movement still have a soft spot for certain classics, alongside their increasingly adventurous creations. Louisiana’s J. Mouton, however, has in recent years led the charge to bring a rather peculiar classic into the world of artisan briars: the opera. Though its precise origins are debated, the opera was a minor staple of traditional, factory pipe making, defined by its oval, rather than conical, chamber. The opera faded into relative obscurity as pipe smoking waned in the 20th century, even as other familiar designs persisted. Yet J. Mouton has managed to show what a mistake it was to leave the opera behind, with his distinctive renditions becoming some of his most sought after pipes.

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.96 / 24.38mm (end to end)

Bowl Depth: 1.50″ / 38.10mm

Weight: 1.2oz / 36g