A tipped cigar made with hand-crafted pipe tobacco that delivers a hands-down unique smoking experience. There are huge numbers of artisan pipe carvers creating beautiful work. Tobacco blends are very similar to the insurgence in craft beer and wines.
My memories of pipe smokers go back to the ‘50s and’60s when pipe smoking was very popular. You may have seen pictures, movies or television shows of some notable people smoking pipes. Calabash gourds (usually with meerschaum or porcelain bowls set inside them) have long made prized pipes, but they are labour-intensive and, today, quite expensive. Because of this expense, pipes with bodies made of wood (usually mahogany) instead of gourd, but with the same classic shape, are sold as calabashes. Both wood and gourd pipes are functionally the same (with the important exception that the dried gourd, usually being noticeably lighter, sits more comfortably in the mouth).
Becoming a bit more commonplace today, the Squat Tomato is stunning with a dark sandblasted finish, a contrasting shank extension, and a smooth rim. Perhaps no shape embodies that of the smoking pipe more clearly than the classic Billiard. Favored by the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien, Albert Einstein, C.S. Lewis and countless other famous pipe enthusiasts, the Billiard continues to be a well-esteemed shape by pipe smokers today. The most likely explanation for the origin of its name is the French word for stick, bille. It may have been so called because its round, straight shank was reminiscent of a billiard cue. A Billiard’s bowl is cylindrical from top to bottom, and usually measures about 1.5 – 2″ tall.
Over the years we have successfully sold over 2,000,000 pipes, and are the leader of the European pipe market. At Bisgaard Pipes we have chosen to only include the very best pipes from the tobacco pipe foremost pipe makers of the world today. As you browse our collection, you will find high variety and many different price ranges, catering to the needs of both the beginning pipe smoker and the experienced collector.
Pipe makers are beginning to experiment with different finishes, but the Ramses seems most comfortable in a smooth finish. Bo Nordh was a true pioneer of both mechanics and artistry, the combination of which gave us the Ramses pipe, and what a beautiful pipe it is. True to its namesake, a classic Billiard’s shank is still both round and straight, and is about as long as its bowl is tall. Tapered or saddle stems are both common on this pipe, and stems measure 2 inches in length, give or take. The Billiard’s timeless shape has served as a launching pad for many other pipe shapes over the years.
This is when hot smoke burns the surface of the pipe smoker’s tongue, creating a sensation that is similar to a bite. Named for its ability to sit steadily on the poker table while you shuffle up and deal, the Poker is made for play, but it’s an “all business” kind of pipe when it comes to shaping. Its walls are tall, and the cylindrical bowl is flat on both the top and the bottom. The round shank exits just below the bottom of the bowl, and is elongated with a simple saddle stem. The sturdy appearance of the Poker is complemented well by a skillfully rusticated finish. They are most often turned on a lathe as opposed to being shaped freely by hand, in order to achieve true symmetry.
Although a British newspaper cartoon of the early 1900s depicts the British actor H. A. Saintsbury as the Great Detective smoking what may be a calabash pipe,citation needed its now-stereotypical identification with Sherlock Holmes remains a mystery. Although the company sells over 150 million of their famous Dr. Perl Junior System Filters every year, their well-crafted pipes are not Fashion tobacco pipe widely distributed in the U.S. or Canada. An internet article that I read some years ago offers advice that is relevant for today’s column.
Dublins can range from straight to 3/4 bent, and just about any color or finish is more than fitting for this timeless pipe. Regardless of the confusion, Apples are very much a favorite of pipe enthusiasts and are in ample supply. Their shanks are very seldom anything but round, and often quite beefy. Its soft edges and medium-sized bowl give it a classic look and make it very comfortable to hold.
When a pipe maker begins to work on a Freehand pipe, there isn’t always an established shape that he is determined to arrive upon. The piece of briar that is being worked, in some ways, has a will of its own. And so, as material is sanded away from the rough edges of the block, the grain points one way and then another, until all the excess material has been removed, and what remains is only what naturally lay within. The supernal grains that make our beloved briar so beautiful to behold, made possible only after decades of growth under the Earth, are expertly exposed by the skillful hands of the carver. Freehand pipes take many forms, many of them unsurprisingly inspired by nature, but each one tests the skill and understanding of the carver in a unique way.