RD Pipes by Ron Powell Sandblasted Brandy w/ Silver Briar Pipe, New

Description

American artisan 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.

While Powell is very versatile, as mentioned, this pipe belongs to one of a few broad genres of shapes that have become staples in recent years. For example, ne of these shapes is the bent bulldog (see our other listings for one of those), whereas another, seen here, is the stout and sturdy, Danish-American brandy. While brandy shapes are very traditional in origin, the idea of what a brandy is was fundamentally transformed by Scandinavian pipe makers—especially those in Denmark—in the second half of the 20th century. Yet, similarly, the brandy was renewed again by American artisans following the dawn of the millennium. And it’s almost as if the brandy, now in its third guise, was born to be American all along. Eschewing the softer lines of the Anglo-French renditions, as well as much of the bulbous bombast of the Scandinavian ones, brandies like this one from RD Pipes are decidedly stout and sturdy, leaning further into the notion of a “well oiled smoking machine.” But, as can also be seen here, they’re not without care for aesthetic enjoyment, with this one showing off a contrast stained, ring grain sandblast, a perfectly matched, sandy ebonite stem, and a sterling silver collar.

Details:

Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm

Bowl Width: 0.88 / 22.35mm

Bowl Depth: 1.77″ / 44.95mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 48g