Kirsten & Tsuge 80th Anniversary Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Collaborations between pipe-making companies are rare. Collaborations between pipe-making companies based in two separate continents – not to mention companies known for very different styles of pipes – are rarer still. Yet here we have a pipe from a very limited edition series that came about from a collaboration between America’s Kirsten and Japan’s Tsuge. Kirsten is a mainstay in American pipe-making, known for its unique, metal frame, or “radiator,” pipes. Tsuge, on the other hand, is Japan’s most renowned pipe-making brand, with products ranging from traditional East Asian smoking instruments to the pipe art of its Ikebana workshop. Tsuge and Kirsten do have one very important thing in common, however, that being that both companies were founded in 1936. As the 80th anniversary of each of these companies drew near, it was decided that a collaboration would be an excellent way to celebrate the reaching of that milestone. After all, in this day and age, a pipe-maker still going strong after eight days is no mean feat. This pipe, debuting in 2016, is what Kirsten and Tsuge, together, came up with.

The pipe itself is similar in design to Kirsten’s 1606 shape, with the addition of a capped briar bowl with an exquisite ring grain sandblast. As mentioned, these pipes were extremely limited in number. In total, 160 were produced, with 80 going to the American market, and another 80 being sold solely in Japan. This pipe is number 48 of the former batch.

The pipe is furthermore completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.98 / 24.89mm

Bowl Depth: 1.10″ / 27.94mm

Weight: 2.2oz / 64g