HS Studio Smooth Ramses Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

While China has long been associated with cheaper factory pipes, a new generation of artisans and workshops have emerged over the past decade, producing some genuinely excellent pipes. HS Studio is an example of the latter, being a Hong Kong workshop dedicated to crafting handmade briars, typically in shapes and styles reminiscent of the post-war artisan scene.

If you are not a Scandinavian pipes obsessive, you may be wondering what on earth a “Ramses” is. If so, don’t fret, I will briefly explain. One of the first masters of what would become the “Danish” school of artisan pipe-making was Bo Nordh (though he, like his fellow pioneer Sixten Ivarsson, were both technically Swedes). Nordh’s unique approach to pipe design and construction yielded numerous, never before seen shapes which have, over the decades since, become staples of artisan pipe-making. One such shape was the Ramses, so-called after a statue of the Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses the Great. Over time, the shape has been recreated and reinterpreted by countless makers. This one, for example, adds a foot at the base not unlike a cavalier, which allows the pipe to stand upright—albeit a little precariously. On a last note, I’m going to categorize this as a “cavalier” simply because we do not have a Ramses category and it’s too rare to warrant one.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. There is what looks to be a very small, superficial briar imperfection at the front of the bowl, but it is minor. The pipe also comes with its original sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.71 / 18.03mm

Bowl Depth: 1.5″ / 38.10mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 60g