2020 Jack Howell Sandblasted Hawkbill Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Jack Howell is an American artisan pipe-maker based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beginning his pipe-making profession in 1999, Howell balances making high-grade pipes with his other career as a musician in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. While the latter is Howell’s self-admitted primary vocation, Howell’s pipes are a cult favorite among pipe-smokers and are renowned for their artistic vision and technical skill. As such, Howell’s pipes can be particularly hard to come by, much to the chagrin of his many admirers.

When I say that Jack Howell’s pipes are a cult favorite, I do mean it. I once knew someone who owned around a dozen or so, and was still annoyed when Howell was too busy in his musical career to take commissions. With this particular pipe, two aspects of Howell’s work spring to mind. The first is undoubtedly the sandblasting. It is so dense and craggy that I did wonder whether it might be strawberry wood (arbutus) at first, but I’m quite certain that it is just thoroughly blasted briar, with a contrast stain that only accentuates its rich texture. The second thing I thought of, when the pipe landed on my desk, is that, if you want to get your hands on a “pocket magnum,” i.e., something with a big, broad bowl and a similarly large chamber, but with a much more manageable length for everyday carry, you can’t go wrong with a Jack Howell. This one takes the form of a very distinct looking hawkbill, tipped by a stem of hand cut cumberland.

-J.M.

 

This Jack Howell is completely unsmoked and comes with its original leather sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.97 / 24.63mm

Bowl Depth: 1.73″ / 43.94mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g