Pete Prevost 2005 Sandblasted Egg w/ Bakelite Estate Briar Pipe, American Estates

Pete Prevost is is an American artisan and has been, since the 2000s, at the forefront of a veritable pipe making renaissance in the United States. As has been the case with a significant number of high-end carvers in that cohort, Prevost first studied pipe making under two of America’s undisputed giants, Jody Davis and Todd Johnson. He would also, ultimately, co-found the Tennessee-based BriarWorks company with Johnson, through which the two helped redefine the notion of a modern pipe factory (while nurturing the next generation of pipe makers in the process). When he isn’t tied up with his duties as the current president of BriarWorks, Prevost, continues to craft his solo, handmade pipes—though, as one might imagine, supply of the latter is frequently well outpaced by demand.

While vulcanite has been the standard since the early 20th century, pipe makers have, historically, used all sorts of materials for their mouthpieces. Horn was a staple during the inaugural decades of the briar pipe, as were ivory and bone as far as the high-end pipes of the day went. The proliferation of mass-market synthetics around the beginning of the 1900s saw pipe makers rushing to experiment with, and incorporate these new technological advances in their wares, from Redmanol, to Galalith, and, of course acrylic. Only the latter rose to the same prominence as vulcanite, however, and after the midcentury, those were typically the only two options one had when buying a pipe.

In more recent decades, there has been a genuine revival in the art of mouthpieces, spearheaded by the American and English artisan scenes. One material in particular that has become popular in high-grade artisan briars is Bakelite, and though it is notoriously difficult to work with, skilled artisans such as Pete Prevost (seen here) have been able to incorporate it into a variety of novel designs. As Bakelite is typically not manufactured for aesthetic purposes anymore, much of what is used in the cotemporary arts (pipe making included) is antique Bakelite, distinguished by its beautiful, swirling tones in all manner of hues. One might call it “recycling,” or “upcycling,” though neither quite captures the significance of putting to use the very same Bakelite that, nearly a century ago, was a cornerstone of the art deco movement.

The condition is great. Minor rim darkening and slight handling marks.

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.82″ / 46.22mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 48g