SU Pipes Smooth Dancing Rhodesian w/ Case Handmade Briar Pipe, New

You may have wondered, as I often do, what would happen if professional meerschaum carver was to turn their attention to briar wood, and to make pipes out of that instead. While many early briar pipe manufacturers, such as Frederick Charatan, made just such a transition back in the late 19th century, both briar and meerschaum pipe manufacture have changed significantly in the century since, making for an interesting opportunity. Enter Sebahattin Urgan of SU Pipes, former apprentice to Eskişehir’s master of meerschaum Emre Bay and now an expert carver in his own right. Urgan’s talents have in recent years extended to handcrafting briar pipes, having been greatly inspired by the legends of Scandinavian and post-Scandinavian design. Though he is heavily influenced by Scandinavian-style pipe making, one group of shapes that Sebahattin Urgan is particularly fond of are bulldogs and Rhodesian. As he is so heavily influenced by Scandinavian-style pipe making, however, his renditions tend to be rather unconventional, especially compared to their classical counterparts. In the case of this one, it blends the steep, sweeping curvature of certain Danish bulldog and Rhodesian renditions, such as those of Anne Julie, Jorn Larsen, or the early Poul Ilsted, with a curiously “footed” base. There are parallels with the wide-shank, “surfing” shapes of contemporary artisan pipe making, modern cavaliers, and even the “dancing” posture of Bo Nordh’s “Ballerina.” All in all it’s a nicely distinctive design, even amidst today’s booming artisan scene. As this is an SU Pipe, this pipe comes also with one of Urgan’s signature, custom-fitted hard cases, making for easy travel and care.   Details: Length: 5.6″ / 142.2mm Bowl Width: 0.79 / 20.06mm Bowl Depth: 2.10″ / 53.34mm Weight: 2.6oz / 76g