I am one of the fortunate fifteen who have at least one of these NAP reproductions. Mine is identical to Jim’s, except with a red brindle (Cumberland) stem. It’s an outstanding smoker. There’s something about that stem that seems to intensify flavors for me. Of course, there’s no way to do a blind test, so it might be my imagination, but there are blends that I’ve thought were too subtle (boring) for my taste in the past, but in the NAP are very flavorful and delicious. I’ve only smoked Virginia and Virginia-Perique blends in it, so I don’t know how English blends will perform.
As for the smoke distribution, especially at the start, you do notice the unusual airflow. It’s most obvious at the sides, but depending upon how I’m clenching, I am sometimes very aware of smoke coming around the ridges in the button. It’s very effective at widely distributing the smoke. I think this helps avoid tongue bite, but I rarely encounter that anyway.
As for comfort, the button is pronounced enough to be a comfortable jaw hanger and doesn’t feel odd in my mouth at all. One of the reviewers mentioned that when smoking it, the inside of his lip sometimes feels “crinkly”. I have not experienced that with the NAP, but have at other times with other pipes.
Finally, cleaning has not yet been a problem. Staying diligent with regular cleaning, Obsidian oil or something similar, and keeping it in the dark I my plan. I imagine that cleaning oxidation from the grooves in the button would be a bear and I’d be VERY careful about putting the button on a spinning buffer wheel.
Thanks to Mark Irwin for this great opportunity. And thanks, too, to Silver Gray and Brad Pohlmann for their superb stem work.
