A Pipe for a Friend

Great news! One of my underlings or co-worker would be the polite term; is thinking about smoking pipe tobacco! He usually smokes cigarettes, and if I can convert him to pipe tobacco he'll be the first friend I have to share this hobby with in person.
The thing is, while I was willing to part with one of my meerschaums to give to him, he didn't feel too comfortable with meers after I was done explaining to him how fragile meers are and how to care for them. He said he'd much rather have a small briar pipe that he could stuff in his pocket and not worry too much about some abuse. Now I do have one briar pipe, but I can not part with it because I inherited that pipe from my late boss. I know how to care for briar pipes, but when it comes to what briar pipe is best for a beginners I'm clueless.
Any suggestions on what briar pipe to purchase for my friend would greatly be appreciated. The only thing I'm certain about is that his first pipe should probably be a full bent pipe so it's harder to accidentally slurp some bacco juice. Also if you have any suggestions on what pipe tobacco to start him on please say so. Other than what briar pipe to give to him, I'm planning to give him some Hobbit's Weed and some Hearth&Home LJ Heart Virginia (I don't think I should give anything with latakia or perique to a beginner).

I'm thinking about buying him a Savinelli Roma Rustic pipe (the one with the apple bowl), its about $80. Good lord, I had no idea briar pipes were so affordable, compared to what I pay for meers. I do want to get him a nice pipe, and even though he works under me, he's no stranger to my family. We've known each other for years working together, attending dinner parties, BBQs, his wife and my wife are friends, ect. I kinda regard him as a little brother sorta and he is younger than me. He smokes his own cigarettes per say (roll your own). The reason I wanted to start him off on aromatics is because he always compliments on the aroma when I smoke aromatics around him. Plus his wife always complains about his cigarette smell, but she doesn't mind the smell of what I'm puffin. I will throw in some virginia and burley blends though to be on "his" safe side.

says I have no messages. I checked my inbox just now.
edit: oh nevermind I found it

@captainsousie
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