Buckeye Hand Made Black Sandblasted Billiard Briar Pipe, New

Premal Chheda’s Buckeye Pipes have undergone several significant changes since their debut in the mid-2000s. Chheda himself was one of the first major players in 21st century American artisan briars, having been taught the fundamentals of high-grade pipe making by Mike Butera, and having had plenty of students of his own in the time since. Though Buckeye started out as an sub-brand for pipes that did not quite meet the standard of a pipe stamped with the Chheda name, the two would ultimately become different projects entirely. Today’s Buckeye Pipes are, instead, high-quality briars produced by Premal Chheda and his apprentices. The difference between a Chheda Pipe, or one of the pipes made by Chheda’s apprentices under their own name, and a Buckeye pipe boils down to the level of detailing involved: Buckeye Pipes are precision engineered and expertly finished, while being more minimalist in design and less labor-intensive in execution than their counterparts. In addition to the more freeform and Scandi-American pipes Buckeye is known for, Premal and his team have recently been adding some rather traditional briars to the make’s portfolio. In the case of this one, it’s a classic large billiard rendition in the early to mid-20th century English style, with a fittingly crisp, black sandblast. One could say it’s just like the traditional billiards of old, but with a technical precision rarely found outside of the artisan scene. Details: Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm Bowl Width: 0.76 / 19.30mm Bowl Depth: 1.71″ / 43.43mm Weight: 1.7oz / 50g