This hefty bent billiard from Ropp, a full-handed pipe made with slow evenings in mind, is long-shanked, deep-chambered, and comes from Saint-Claude, the French heartland of pipe-making.
The bowl is tall, wide, and thick-walled, insulating the smoke beautifully. The sandblast finish reveals a rough, tactile grain stained in earthy red-browns that darken with time. Despite its size, it’s comfortable thanks to the generous bend and lightweight acrylic stem.
There’s no filter, just a clear draught and ample chamber room for long flakes or slow-burning shags. This pipe is made for unhurried reflection, a pipe to last a whole chapter, maybe two.