Sean Reum Pipes Smooth Bent Dublin Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Over the last decade, Sean Reum has emerged as one of North America’s most admired and in-demand pipe-makers, with his fans including, among many others, the one and only G.L. Pease. Having followed Reum’s career for many years, including catching a few glimpses of the artisan in his Montana workshop, I’m happy to say that his status in the pipe world is well-earned. A master carver of hand made pipes in the Scandinavian tradition, Reum has managed to secure a niche in the highly competitive artisan market through a combination of innovative designs and production techniques, a consistent, high quality output, and an almost unparalleled work ethic.

While not quite a nosewarmer, this particular Reum is a more compact and highly lightweight work, one that would be ideal as a pocket-pipe, or at least one that can be smoked on-the-go, whether accompanying chores or more leisurely ventures. It is a rare example of a smooth-finish pipe from Reum – in fact, when I spoke to Sean last, I asked him how many smooth pipes he makes per year, to which the answer was “fewer than 10,” meaning around 2-3% of his total output. This one is also uncommonly classically inclined; with that said, it would be difficult to find a traditional pipe – even from the great English and French makes – with grain as beautiful as this one. The pipe’s bowl is positively ablaze with vertical straight grain, while its rim is a pool of bird’s-eye patterns. Both are expertly emphasized by a golden contrast stain, with the pipe’s black, hand cut ebonite stem acting as a foil to set them off even more so.

Details:

Length: 4.8″ / 121.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.75 / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 1.24″ / 31.49mm

Weight: 1.1oz / 32g