Yorgos Mitakidis Straight Dublin Estate Briar Pipe, Greek Estates

Description

While many contemporary pipe-makers find inspiration in the avant-garde stylings of the Danish masters and their progeny, Greek artisan Yorgos Mitakidis has carved a far more traditional path for himself. Drawing on the designs that made England and France the pipe-making powerhouses of the 20th century, Mitakidis has, since 2017, offered a distinct, updated take on the classics, all of which are hand made in his workshop in Thessaloniki.

Though I can’t be sure, this petite, pencil-shank Dublin looks to be made from strawberry briar, rather than the more typical tree heather root. Learned readers may already know of this material and its distinct pipe-making properties, but for those who don’t: strawberry briar, or arbutus unedo, is a hardwood with a similar heat resistance to tree heather. It makes for excellent pipes, just as tree heather does, but it also responds to sandblasting exquisitely. This is why pipe-makers such as Roman Kovalev of Doctor’s Pipes, and Chris Morgan, use it – it smokes well, and the ring grain it exhibits upon sandblasting is even craggier than the fabled Barling’s Make Fossil, Reuben era Charatans, and patent-era Dunhills of old. Mitikadis has completed his design here with what appears to be a white sand-hued ebonite stem. If that isn’t neoclassical, I don’t know what is.

The pipe is in excellent condition. There’s some minor rim darkening, but it is superficial, and you have to look very closely to see it.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.82 / 20.82mm

Bowl Depth: 1.73″ / 43.94mm

Weight: 0.8oz / 24g