Robertson Pipes Smooth Disc Blowfish Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

Atlanta artisan Reid Robertson’s first exposure to the world of pipes came when he was just two years old. While on a family vacation to Disney World, the young Reid caught a whiff of the curious scents emanating from the bowl of a passing smoker, a total going about his vacation with his own family. That memory has stuck with Reid ever since, so it should be no surprise that, when he turned 18, a gifted Sasieni began his lifelong love affair with pipes. Several years down the line, Reid decided to go one step further and make pipes of his own. By then he already had plenty of woodworking experience under his belt, and the generous advice and encouragement of the online pipe making community—especially Sean Reum, Jason Patrick, and Kadesh Swanson—Robertson Pipes was born. Reid would go on to further develop his craft under the tutelage of David S. Huber, this time in-person at Huber’s North Carolina workshop. Since then Robertson Pipes have found their place in the steadfast tradition of high-grade, American artisan pipes.

I would imagine that, if a pipe maker studied under David Huber, making a blowfish is a core part of one’s education, as well as a means of proving that you’re ready to graduate to the level of a high-grade artisan. After all, Huber is one of today’s absolute masters of the shape. And, as can be seen here, Reid Robertson has very much aced that “test.” What’s most interesting, however, is that Robertson’s blowfish is in no way derivative of his teacher’s renditions (nor of one of Huber’s own teachers, Nanna Ivarsson). It is far more classical, assumedly in part because a Huber-style blend of facets and folds would detract from the fantastic grain it has to offer. Robertson’s design is far closer to the “disc” blowfishes of Danish greats such as Tom Eltang or Peter Heeschen, allowing for vast planes of bird’s-eye on either flank, and tight, tiger-stripe cross-grain everywhere else..

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.68 / 17.27mm

Bowl Depth: 1.47″ / 37.33mm

Weight: 2.0oz / 58g