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I have been noticing that the pipes in my collection are pretty evenly balanced with smooth finish vs a rusticated/sandblasted pipe. My question is what is your preference?
I love the look of sandblasted!
It really depends for me , I love a good rustication like Castello's sea rocks, but I've seen some ugly ones too, just shallow and rough looking. More like you dropped a pipe in a garbage disposal.
I like smooth pipes showing nice grain too!
If I had to pick one now, its be a rusticated.
Depends on the pipe for me, y'know?? Whatever speaks to me...
I'm with Wildcat - it has to speak to me.
sandblast..
Peterson Sherlock Holmes "Original" Army Mount Sterling
I like some rusticated/sandblast pipes but most of them aren't my speed. I really love a good smooth pipe even if it has a couple fills.
Sandblast
Scott Thile Blasted Egg
I love them all. But if I had to pick only one, it would be a deep, well done sandblast.
Right now Sandblasts are my preference, can't get enough of 'em.
hmm Sandblasted seems to be winning right now...can you guys elaborate as to why?
I like the way a sandblasted or rusticated pipe feels in the hand and a good blast can show off grain -- particularly ring grain -- beautifully. A smooth pipe -- while there are a lot of great ones, certainly -- also seems to show oil from a hand more readily, and needs a little more care for appearances. Finally, I have heard (though I wonder) that a blast or a rustication can add a carburetor effect, letting the pipe smoke cooler, but YMMV on that one.
Smooth Meerschaums, and blasted briars.
The reason I like sandblast is because I see the beauty behind the rough exterior. It doesn't have to be shiny, it's all about function.
I like both. I just ordered a vintage Graco sandblasted, looks awesome, don't know if i'll keep it or resell it though.
hmm Sandblasted seems to be winning right now...can you guys elaborate as to why?
Can't explain it other than I find them visually interesting/striking and they have a good feel to them. I like smooth finish too, but at least right now, sandblasts are my fav.
The older I get, the less I like rusticated finishes. I love a nice sandblast and of course, a nicely grained smooth is always beautiful, but for some reason I have sold or traded away most all of my rusticated pipes.
sandblasted! for me ,i'm not good at taking care of my pipes
Mostly smooth for me, but have been picking up sandblasted/rusticated lately..
Sandblasts primarily, then rusticated. I have issues with arthritis, and they're easier to hold than smooths.
I keep a heavy coating of carnauba wax on my smooths, and that makes them somewhat easier to hold on to.
At any rate, I think the blasts are visually more interesting.
I'm with wildcat as well... It all depends on the individual pipe and what speaks to me. I love he look of a well done sandblast but because i work with wood everyday I also appreciate a very nice grain.
Smooth because it has the least stain.
Up until recently I have always preferred a smooth finish.
Now, though, I am leaning more towards rusticated.
Smooth by far, then a good blast. I have rusticated pipes, but they are a distant third choice for me, all other things being equal.
My favorites are blasted , but smooth with no fills and nice grain is beautiful as well . I think that the thing with blasted briar is the , comfort to grip , not as delicate ( scratched and dings are better hidden ) , and a good pipe maker can be very creative with blasts , and rustications .
I like the way rusticated feels in my hand, but I appreciate the aesthetic quality of a smooth pipe as well. My first briar, my Aldo Velani, is smooth bent billiard and its starting to get these lovely waves of dark and lighter color. But then again like the way the rustic look brings out a almost raw quality to the look and feel. So tough, and I could go on for a while. I'll choose rusticated.
While I do have all three types.
First and foremost my affinity is for smooth straight tight grain.
e.g. See my signature below.
Every now and then a rustic or blasted pipe will catch my eye, but I really love seeing the grain.
Most of my pipes are smooth, but my preference right now is sandblast. As mentioned earlier the pipe needs to speak to me.
Im gonna be one of the lone dissenters here and say smooth, particularly smooth pipes that have birdseye grain on them. Few things are as beautiful to me as good birdseye grain and I havent seen a lot of pipes with full on birdseye, but I am always on the hunt for one. Not to say I don't enjoy a fully rusticated black finish on a pipe either, but if I had a choice I would go with smooth.
Really like all the new sandblast models coming out...
I prefer sandblasted, because they are rugged and handsome, just like me. (Kidding). 
I honestly love the look of a beautiful Birds Eye but unfortunately the price on the ones I like are way over my price threshold. Some of my favorite Birds Eye pipes are from Eltang and those are all 800.00 plus.
So I buy sandblasted pipes because they are my second favorite. I really like a tight ring grain and I do like the feel of a nicely blasted pipe better than smooth. Here is one of my favorite blasted pipes, from Rad Davis.
Every now and then a rustic or blasted pipe will catch my eye, but I really love seeing the grain.
Are you implying you cannot see grain on non smooth pipe? 
Here is one of my favorite blasted pipes, from Rad Davis
cigarmaster, I always love when you share pics. Everything you've shown has been incredible.
Given the choice, I prefer a smooth. But I have some very nice blasted and rusticated pipes also, like several have said it has to speak to me, or be to good a deal to pass up. 
Well Harris, you can always assuage your longing for birseye, by eyeballing the birdseye on the polished rim of that blasted Rad 
always love rusticated .. but smooth is seemingly more valuable to a collectioner..
austin, thank you.
roth, lol, while that is nice, this is what I am talking about.
Cigrmaster that
tom eltang is beautiful
My current (n00b) preference is for smooth finishes. This may change as I gain experience. I'm already seeing some examples of partial rustication in photos that y'all have posted that are intriguing...
Harris - that is a beaut. 
Make that a group 6 billiard, black or cumberland stem, and it's my Holy Grail of pipes (at least for the present moment).
I prefer sandblasted/rusticated. I am usually pretty hard on my pipes and sandblasted/rusticated show less wear and tear.
six, thanks buddy. I wanted one of those natural billiards the minute I saw one of Rad's that had been sold at smokingpipes. I had commissioned a bunch of pipes from him, and moved this one to the head of the line.
robusthermit, you make a very valid point, people who are rough or clumsy are much better served staying away from smooth pipes. Besides the old saying holds true, you cannot smoke grain.
bigboi, check out this one. http://briarblues.com/joho50.htm. One day I will own an Eltang. I am kicking myself for missing a steal on ebay a few weeks ago. A beauty went off at only 300 or so and I forgot to watch it.
Besides the old saying holds true, you cannot smoke grain.
At the moment I only buy smooth.
What's the difference between sandblast/rusticated???
What's the difference between sandblast/rusticated???
Rustication is a finish that is carved into the pipe's wood by the pipe maker.
For a sandblast finish, the pipe maker uses a machine that blasts the wood's finish, usually with sand, but other materials are also used, to remove the softer areas in the wood, thus highlighting the harder portions of the wood's grain.
kris, here is a rusticated pipe.
Here is a sandblasted one.
The blasted pipe is done with a sandblasting machine, the rusticated is a carved process of which I am not certain of how it is accomplished.
Some pipes are both sandblasted and then rusticated too.
As Harris states, it's sometimes hard to tell the specifics and often requires details from the pipe maker.
Some pipe makers utilize proprietary unique techniques, i.e., oil curing, baking the wood, specific and often customized tools, etc. to create a truly artistic effect.
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