Sandblast Opinions

eaglerico · Jun 17, 2013

I really enjoy the feel of a sandblast pipe in my hand. I feel it gives me something to grip and I feel sandblasting can give a pipe that would have been boring otherwise some real character. I have been saving up for another artisan pipe and have been looking at Rads, Cookes and Cannoys as well as others. I have a Tinsky blast and I love it.
My question is below
1) I feel the Rad and Tinsky blasts look similar. I do not have a Rad blast and have never held one either. Are they comparable? Is one deeper then the other? I have seem some conjecture that Rad does the blasts for Tinsky, and if this is true I am looking for a difference between them. (For later note, Tinksy blast is my base for blasts)
2) I find the Cooke blasts very appealing in the looks department but I have fears in the functional department. Do the deep ridges hold up over time? Also, I do have sensative skin and am a bit worried some of the sharp ridges may not feel as comfortable as I would like? Any thoughts?
3) I really really enjoy the looks of Cannoy's "Suede" blasts. I think to me this is some wonderful craftsmanship. Can anyone tell me how these feel in the hand? Is the blasts at such a fine level is almost feels like a smooth pipe? How does is feel in the hand compared to a Tinsky or Rad?
In the end, whats the superior blast, or are the three so different they stand on their own?

kashmir · Jun 17, 2013

Michael Parks is also an astounding pipe maker, and his blasts are killer.

slownumbers39 · Jun 17, 2013

WOW!!! Very nice. :worship:

cigrmaster · Jun 17, 2013

Glenn, as I am sure you are well aware, I enjoy the blast work that Rad does. To my eye, he gets a nice deep blast that follows the grain of the pipe and is in most cases a great ring blast that is very consistent all the way around the bowl. Having said that, if his pipes did not smoke as well as they do, I would not buy them. I buy pipes to smoke first and foremost so the fact that Rad's look great but also smoke as well as they do is a bonus for me.
I like the way a Cooke blast looks and hope to own one one day, but spending a minimum of 850.00 is not in the cards for me now, plus I am not that keen on his stem work at all.
Yes Rad and Linder do a lot of the blast work for Tinsky, so that is why you will notice his pipes looking like a Rad in many cases.
I have no experience with a Cooper pipe so I cannot comment.
In my opinion, you will get the best smoking pipe from a Rad for a price that is reasonable. I hear Parks makes a great smoker as well and his blast work is really nice, but price wise you are looking at 600.00 starting range.
Other artisans I own that have great blasts and are good smokers are Brian Ruthenberg, Scott Thile, Mike Butera and Bruce Weaver. I would recommend Rad over all of these others for quality and value. In my opinion his stem work is unsurpassed.

juptierspipe · Jun 17, 2013

That is a killer blast Kashmir! Almost looks like dragon scales...

kashmir · Jun 17, 2013

Then you've got the old Dunhill pre-war shell blasts on Algerian briar.

And of course old Bill Taylor could blast a fine Ashton pipe.

As could his protege Jimmy Craig of Ashton pipes.

Then again, old Lane era Charatans could also show some nice blasts.

So, you can see there's a lot to choose from. I've also got a few Rolando Negoita and Bruce Weaver blasts that are incredibly sculptured. Every one has got their secret media and nozzle size preferences. There are so many nice blasts out there. It really is a bit overwhelming at times as to whom to chose.

mso489 · Jun 17, 2013

I'm not experienced with these pipes, which are high-end for me, but I tend to like blasts that

pick up the grain in a way that recalls the grain pattern as it looks on a smooth pipe. I also join

in voting for the tactile aspect of a good blast. Blasts I have include a Ser Jacopo Dublin with

an interesting wavy steam -- the shank is partly smooth -- a trusty Parker, and a Joh's Diplomat.

These pipes in the photos posted have great texture and heft, really impressive.

kashmir · Jun 17, 2013

An interesting thing about blasts, that I didn't know till fairly recently: An absolutely straight grain smooth pipe will blast as a ring grain. The former with vertical grain. The latter with horizontal grain in rings around the bowl. Counterintuitive. So the same strumel will look entirely different depending on the finish. Now, depending on how deep or vigorous the blast, sometimes on these ring grain blasts, you'll still be able to see the vertical grain elements. Also, a field of bird's eye on a smooth will blast into an entirely different pitted or cratered field if blasted.

peckinpahhombre · Jun 17, 2013

I find Cooke's pipes very comfortable to hold. In fact, the thing I like best about them is the tactile feel they have - there is nothing quite like it.

however, I love many types of blasts. Take this Bruce Weaver - I love the layered look of the blast.

And then there is Walt Cannoy's suede finish. Gives a really unique feel, which I like.

Then there is Lee Von Erck

And here's a Bill Ashton again, a Canadian:

Joe Nelson also does a lovely textured blast

Brian Ruthenerg is no slouch in the blast department either:

Grant Batson gives a light, but skilled blast:

Most european blasts are much lighter, and far less craggy than North American artisan blasts - Paolo Becker however makes this one fairly craggy (perhaps influenced by the way Strawberry wood blasts)

peckinpahhombre · Jun 17, 2013

In terms of the blasts holding up over time, the one that worries me the most is the Cannoy suede blast. I love the way it feels - I can't describe it - kind of like a light sandpaper. But the fibres of the blast are REALLY fine. I worry they will deform over time. I hope they don't.

4dotsasieni · Jun 17, 2013

Funny thing -- when I first started in pipe smoking I wouldn't even glance at a sandblasted or rusticated pipe. I bought only smooth finishes with nice grain. Now, in my dotage, I'd much rather smoke a blast or rustic - they feel better and lighter in the hand and mouth, and, I think, smoke better. My collection reflects this change in my thinking: I now have more sandblasts and rusticated pipes than smooth, and i just enjoy them more.

juptierspipe · Jun 17, 2013

Walt Cannoy's suede finish is really something...I've never seen a finish like that, pretty impressive.

winton · Jun 17, 2013

I am not that keen on sandblasting, but the pictures you guys have posted are incredible.

bigboi · Jun 17, 2013

Walt Cannoy's Suede blasts are so beautiful. I would really love to see how they hold up. I also like the lighter blast work. But those cookes are very unique as well.

foggymountain · Jun 18, 2013

I have been selling or giving away my sandblasts. The extra amount of stain needed to cover the greater surface area ruins the taste for me. The exceptions are the Dunhill Countys and any unfinished blasts. The others are gone except for one gorgeous Cumberland which I enjoy looking at, so please don't volunteer to take any.

eaglerico · Jun 18, 2013

Glenn, I'm thinking you're going to get a host of different opinions in the answers to your questions here

I know. That's the point of asking the question. I want to hear everyone's opinions.

Personally, I prefer Rad's, Mark's and Michael's, over JT'. But that is just the in hand feel

I have really sensitive skin and I worry that if I spend the money for a Cooke, it may aggravate my skin. When you say the "hand feel" do you feel it is just a bit too abrasive, or just not as comfortable in general.

I buy pipes to smoke first and foremost so the fact that Rad's look great but also smoke as well as they do is a bonus for me.

Harris, I agree the smoking quality of a pipe is much more important then the exterior. But, if I do not like the feel of the pipe in my hand, no matter how well it smoked I will not smoke it as much. Also, as with women, what's on the outside is what attracts us first. Thanks for listing the other guys, now I have even more to compare before I buy. But thats ok, it will be a month or so before I even consider pulling a trigger so now i have something more to fill the dead time.
Kashmier and Peck, thanks for sharing the photos. I really like being able to compare all of them together in the same place.
I know there are many more artisans that do great blasts as well. The ones I mentioned, I mentioned because those are the ones I have looked at the most and that I am considering. I think Ruthenberg's are great, but I have yet to see one sell for close to what I would be willing to pay (not that I have been looking hard.). What attratcs me to him is the fact that, like Rad, he uses a lot of Cumberland. I really like cumberland stems as well.

In terms of the blasts holding up over time, the one that worries me the most is the Cannoy suede blast.

Peck, I know you have a few Cookes. By saying what I quoted above, are you saying that you don't feel the deep crags of the Cooke blast are that fragile? I know briar is hard, I just feel I would handle a Cooke blast pipe like I do a Meer Lattice Pipe I have. I am considering getting rid of it just because I am scared to drop and ruin the lattice.

bentmike · Jun 18, 2013

Great post. I love sandblast and would be completely happy with any of the pipes pictured. Thanks for sharing.

peckinpahhombre · Jun 18, 2013

I feel the crags on the Cooke but it is not something I would describe as uncomfortable - I actually love the hand feel of the pipe. Same for the Cannoy, but the Cannoy does "feel" fragile to me because it is so, so fine. i don't know if it is fragile, I am just relaying what I feel.

peckinpahhombre · Jun 18, 2013

For the two folks who sent me e-mails, the Ashton above is indeed from the RD Field collection - pipe #14 of 213.

kashmir · Jun 18, 2013

Yup. Me too. Managed to snag two RD Fields early Ashtons. Before the prices shot thru the roof. The one below is a 1986, and the one above is a 1989. Strange thing about Bill "Ashton" Taylor. The man was not a pipe smoker (see the GRANTA Article). An occasional cigar at Christmas was about all. The man spent a life time at Dunhill, then set about making a new brand, Ashton pipes. Then trained Jimmy Craig who runs the shop today with his son. But old Bill wasn't a pipe smoker. Amazing. Sure could blast tho.

So now we have three of the 213 accounted for here at Pipe Magazine. Any more RD Fields Ashtons lurking about here on this forum?

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