Rainer Barbi CB Smooth Rhodesian Estate Briar Pipe, German Estates

Description

Alongside near-contemporaries such as Otto Pollner and Karlheinz Joura, Rainer Barbi was one of the “grand old men” of German artisan pipe making. Beginning his career in the 1970s, Barbi was largely self-taught, but nevertheless managed to establish a reputation as one of the most talented freehand pipe carvers in the world. In his later years, Barbi would partner with companies such as Hilson, Brebbia, and [posthumously] Dan Pipe in order to offer series-produced pipes based on his own designs. Barbi passed away in 2011.

An old friend remarked to me once that, after Rainer Barbi’s passing, the quality of pipes generally speaking got worse. By his reckoning, this was not simply because, with Barbi gone, there were fewer high-grade pipes being made, but boiled down to an all the more bold claim: that Barbi, both directly and indirectly, enforced strict standards as to what a high-grade should be, whether this was in terms of shaping, engineering, finishing, and—of course—good grain.

This particular pipe is a classic Barbi design, one that is quite close to the shape he licensed to Brebbia before his passing. A slightly squat, broad, hybrid of the Dublin, Rhodesian, and the opera, its contrast dress creates a bowl alive with flame grain patterns, which resonate with the striations of its cumberland mouthpiece.

The condition is good. Minor inner rim darkening, finish fading, and slight handling marks.

Details:

Length: 5.4″ / 137.16mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 1.47″ / 37.338mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 46 grams