Pipe Tristan Natural Sandblast Poker w/ Durat Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

I used to say that Pipe Tristan’s Tristan Lefebvre was part of a “new wave” of “up-and-coming” artisans from France, the very birthplace of the briar pipe. But that description doesn’t do him justice these days. Lefebvre isn’t so much a “part” of the latest generation of French artisans as the craftsman leading the charge; likewise, he is no longer “up-and-coming,” but has already secured himself a place alongside historic compatriots such as Alain Albuisson, Paul Lanier, and Pierre Morel Sr and Jr. Lefebvre does still, however, credit the same major influences upon his pipe-making. These include as modern greats from Italy and Denmark like Castello and Tom Eltang, as well as more unique sources of inspiration, such as the centuries-old hunting pipes native to Germany’s southern Bavarian region. As such, Tristan is equally at home crafting his own spin on the ’55,’ the hawbill, or the Danish Dublin, as he is reviving the Ulmer Kloben – when he isn’t inventing his own shapes, that is.

The poker is a pipe shape whose popularity seems to come in waves, sometimes moving to the forefront of smokers’ interests, and other times receding into the background amidst the emergence of other more novel, modernist designs. Yet, like the cutty and the billiard, it never truly goes away, and for good reason: it is eminently functionalist, which is why, for example, it is a staple within Tom Eltang’s output. In other words, so long as the internals are sound, it’ll never let you down. Having handled dozens of Lefebvre’s pipes at this point, my faith in his engineering is unwavering. From the drilling of the draft hole, to the shaping of the button, to ensuring that the proportions are balanced in a way that allows the pipe to be a sitter (or setter) without assistance, it is dead-on. Speaking of the stem, this one features an inlay turned from Finnish Durat, which has been expertly spliced with hand-cut cumberland ebonite. The briar, on the other hand, has been left naked, having been lightly blasted with a focus on its bird’s-eye patterns. Over time, it should develop a golden patina, not unlike meerschaums or—in the world of briar—the Dunhill Tanshell or Savinelli Punto Oro Corallo lines.

 

Details:

Length: 5″ / 127.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.79 / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.77″ / 44.95mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 34g