Neerup: P. Jeppesen Handmade Ida Easy Cut Smooth Bent Apple (3)

Lately, I've taken to finding excuses to purchase a new pipe; I'm in Germany, I should buy a German pipe, It's St. Patrick's Day, I should get the latest themed Peterson, It's my birthday and I deserve something special.

That last example was my excuse to purchase this Neerup: P. Jeppesen Handmade Ida Easy Cut Smooth Bent Apple (3) . I've reached magic number 37. Okay, so there isn't anything magical about that, but clenching a new pipe of this caliber between my teeth certainly does add to my day of celebration.

As usual, I purchased this beauty from www.smokingpipes.com, my favorite pipe retailer. It is the third Danish pipe in my collection and also the nicest. I love how the grain is accentuated by the contrast stain. The image makes it look a bit more yellow than it is in natural light. To me, it is a brown orange color for the light and darker brown-red for the contrast. It has just a touch of birdseye on the bottom and top of the shank as well as the bowl and rim. The acrylic bit complements it beautifully and looks almost like polished horn material (though I'm glad it is not derived from an animal). The chamber is generous, a good 1.47 inches deep and .82 inch diameter. The walls are thick and get thicker toward the bottom, though the pipe doesn't feel too heavy as a result. The bowl is perfectly shaped and sits comfortably in the hand. The shank enlarges as it gets further from the bowl. The shank would be almost symmetrical except that the right side is slightly wider which allows the pipe to sit at approximately a 45° angle. Because of the weight distribution, the pipe naturally rolls to this position, which is an excellent feature to prevent ash spillage. The finishing touches are so perfect and the pipe so well made, that this is the first pipe I'm hesitant to smoke. While I have paid more for my Ardor and over 2.5 times more for my Paul Becker pipe, this one is my most beautiful pipe so far. I don't have any Dunhills or any of the new American Artisan pipes, so I don't have those to compare to, but I feel that for the price, it may be next to impossible to beat a Neerup for quality craftsmanship.

Happy Puffing!

T

Chacom Elite Noir 332 and that new pipe smell

For my birthday this year, I treated myself to two new pipes and a selection of tinned tobacco. I know what you're thinking "Woah, Tom, two pipes this year! Aren't you going a little overboard?"

Truth is, I thought about spending more money and getting one pipe, or spending the same amount and getting two. I wanted to add another billiard to my collection as well as another simple travel pipe that (worst case scenario) I wouldn't be significantly upset over if it were lost or damaged. So, I chose this little number to kill two birds with one stone.

The pipe is very lightweight and has a nice, relatively small, chamber for quick smokes. The flat black with that touch of color at the bit adds elegance for such a simple pipe. Surprisingly, for a pipe at this price range, the bit is acrylic and not vulcanite, or even more likely at this price, Bakelite. The silver CC on the side of the bit says this is a quality brand and onlookers would never guess how affordable it was.

However, there is one thing I never counted on with this purchase... That new pipe smell.

Okay, so I'm sure you're wondering what I mean by that, it's not a car after all. Most pipes smell the same. At least, that's what I thought until I got this one. See, the majority of medium to high quality pipes produced today are charred inside the bowl to reduce break-in time. Obviously a $50 Chacom doesn't sport such a feature. If you don't buy inexpensive pipes, then you may never experience this. However, when I opened the box that the pipe was packed in, I was greeted by something I haven't smelled in a long, long time... The smell of fresh, raw briar.

While the first smokes of a pipe that has not been broken in usually aren't the most pleasant, what I kept thinking was that this is a smell I'll only ever get once. After the first smoke, it will change. After the second, it will change further. Until the pipe is broken in and smells no different than every other pipe in my collection, it will continue to change, giving me an experience to cherish.

So, yes, cheaper pipes take longer to break in, but there is a nostalgia all its own in breaking in a pipe from raw briar and that is something I'll never take for granted.

Happy Puffing!

T