Reid Robertson Sandblasted Dublin w/ Zebrawood Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

Atlanta artisan Reid Robertson’s first exposure to the world of pipes came when he was just two years old. While on a family vacation to Disney World, the young Reid caught a whiff of the curious scents emanating from the bowl of a passing smoker, a total going about his vacation with his own family. That memory has stuck with Reid ever since, so it should be no surprise that, when he turned 18, a gifted Sasieni began his lifelong love affair with pipes. Several years down the line, Reid decided to go one step further and make pipes of his own. By then he already had plenty of woodworking experience under his belt, and the generous advice and encouragement of the online pipe making community—especially Sean Reum, Jason Patrick, and Kadesh Swanson—Robertson Pipes was born. Reid would go on to further develop his craft under the tutelage of David S. Huber, this time in-person at Huber’s North Carolina workshop. Since then Robertson Pipes have found their place in the steadfast tradition of high-grade, American artisan pipes.

No doubt in part thanks to the efforts of companies and figures such as Schönberger Ebonite Manufaktur (SEM) and Chris Kelly (of Eldritch Cumberland), the last decade or so has seen an explosion of color into the space of artisan pipe design. From Denmark’s Manduela Riger-Kusk to China’s Xin Li, all the way to our home-grown artisans like Scottie Piersel or Rich Rosselli, pipe makers have continued to push the boundaries of their design away from more staid tones of black, brown, and red. And, as this Dublin from Atlanta’s Reid Robertson shows, even the more “bold” choices in color composition can be executed in a way that remains well balanced and coordinated and, to an extent, even quite reserved in overall aesthetic. As with the Robertson Pipes Lovat listed alongside this one, this Dublin is very classical in shaping and, despite being fairly stout, is a featherweight and a sure-fire easy clencher. The major differences between this and, say, a mid-century Charatan or Dunhill, concern—of course—color. The pipe is, as in the case of all Robertson Pipes I’ve seen, beautifully sandblasted, with a keen eye for consistent ring grain (something it shares with those early English makes), but it also wears a contrast stain that’s paired with a light, orange-brown ebonite stem, whose hue is meant to imitate briar (something even more evident in natural light). And it really does work, especially with the choice of a narrow zebrawood accent, which acts as a mediator between the tones of its stummel and stem.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.72 / 18.28mm

Bowl Depth: 1.70″ / 43.18mm

Weight: 1.2oz / 36g