RD Pipes by Ron Powell Sandblasted Acorn w/ Ivorite Briar Pipe, New

Description

Ron D. Powell has been making pipes for around ten years now, working under the moniker of RD Pipes. But, sadly, all good things must come to an end. A few months ago, Powell announced that he was finally retiring from his pipe making activities, and we were honored when he reached out to us to ask if we would like to purchase the last RD Pipes to sell via our store.
But it’s also bittersweet. The tagline for Powell’s work for a long time has been “Just Honest Hand Made Pipes.” While this is certainly true, it’s also perhaps a little too modest. RD Pipes are exceptionally well made and Powell is an exceptional pipe maker, with an expansive portfolio demonstrating a great versatility, working with all manner of shapes, styles, and materials to a consistently high quality. While we’re more than happy to be carrying RD Pipes, it’s a genuine shame that, after these ones, there will not be any more to follow.

Speaking of versatility, this particular pipe from Ron Powell moves in a somewhat different direction to the other pipes listed today—and to his portfolio more broadly— yet does so with characteristic aplomb. Evoking both the later Danish approaches to the acorn shape (especially those in the milieu of Lars Ivarsson and Nanna Ivarsson), as well as the wasp, or Vespe, shapes pioneered by Germany’s Wolfgang Becker, the result is a long, slender, highly organic design. This is complemented by a crisp, brick red sandblast and Ivorite shank cap. While acorn shapes are often little light on filling volume, this one has also been deliberately engineered to allow for a wide and amply deep chamber, ensuring that its distinctive form does not impede its essential function.

Details:

Length: 6.5″ / 165.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.85 / 21.59mm

Bowl Depth: 1.40″ / 35.56mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 52g