Smooth Verses Rusticated

durham270 · Aug 28, 2013

This is a Savinelli Linea Artisan Pipe and the first one I've seen which is rusticated. I would think the briar was inferior to the smooth finished line of Linea pipes from Savinelli. Maybe this one being rusticated makes it somewhat unique? I don't know but I do know I liked it's style to the point I purchased it.

petes03 · Aug 28, 2013

Wow! I love that pipe, Durham! I used to hate rusticated and sandblasted pipes, but I find myself gravitating more towards them nowadays. I look at it like this, they may have chosen to rusticate/blast a pipe based on some small flaw in the briar, but it actually takes a lot of work to do that type of finishing. I also think there is something to the rumor that they smoke cooler due to increased surface area.

papipeguy · Aug 28, 2013

Very nice and as far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with any Savinelli. Happy smoke rings.

rmason · Aug 28, 2013

Nice pipe Durham, I'm in the same boat as Pete only I'm just now starting to like the rustic/sandblasted look.

~Ron

radio807 · Aug 29, 2013

I have always hated the look of rusticated and blasted pipes, but a few months ago I picked one up at an antique store and decided that while I dislike its looks, I really like the feel of it in my hand, and so I bought it. It smokes like crap, but that has nothing to do with the rustication. I will likely buy others in the future.
I agree with roth that rustication hides sins. I can't imagine that any pipe maker would hide a beautiful grain pattern without good reason.

zack24 · Aug 29, 2013

At the Savinelli factory and many others, there's a guy who sits there all day long grading hundreds of rough shaped stummels for quality. The great stuff goes smooth, a minor flaw might be sandblasted, a more serious one rusticated, and the seriously flawed get tossed....

bluesmoke · Aug 29, 2013

There's also the argument that rusticated smokes cooler than smooth. I have a Stanwell Vario that is rusticated on one side of the bowl and smooth on the other side. Every time I smoke it, the smooth side gets significantly warmer, and especially toward the end of the smoke, than the rusticated side. My ruticated pipes seem to smoke cooler in general compared to the smooth finishes. Cake thickness may play a part in some cases, but I'm just saying.

mso489 · Aug 29, 2013

Great grain goes to smooth pipes, I hope. But I don't see that that diminishes the other finishes.

Both rustication and sandblasting can come up with some beautiful craftsmanship, and combining

of finishes, to my eyes, is a crowning achievement. I think you do best to looks at the finished

product for what it is and not regard rusticated and sandblasted pipes as failed smooth pipes.

Good crafts people, artisanal carvers or factory crafts people, do the best with each briar they

handle, and the results should be judged on their own merits.

bryanf · Aug 29, 2013

I have dropped my pipes a few times, I will admit, including dropping one in the Ocean, to find out thankfully it floated. (And still smokes fine, though a little fishy sometimes...)
When it's a rusticated one, I don't feel so bad.
When it's smooth, I do!
Nice pipe!

4dotsasieni · Aug 29, 2013

When I first started smoking pipes, I stuck entirely to smooth finishes, of fine grain. Then, as I became more experienced, I gravitated to rusticated/blasted pipes. I really like the look, the feeling in the hand, and I'm convinced they smoke cooler. These days, the majority of my pipes are rustic or blasted, and, specifically, the author shape in these finishes has become my very favourite.

protestantpiper · Aug 29, 2013

The pipes I have with the heaviest rustication are the best smoking ones...

Perique · Aug 29, 2013

That's a gorgeous pipe.

homeatsea · Aug 29, 2013

I personally love the look of rusticated pipes. I never quite got into the aesthetics of a beautiful grain, though I do admire them. Durham, that's an amazing pipe. The smooth top really sets off the rustication for me. I'm jealous. Congrats on your purchase.

cortezattic · Aug 29, 2013

mso489 makes a good point

I think you do best to [...] not regard rusticated and sandblasted pipes as failed smooth pipes.

The pipe maker goes with what Nature gives him. Some wood, with external checks and pits, cannot, by definition, ever become smooth pipes. They are better for rustication and sandblasting -- two finishes that avoid the dreaded fill.

allan · Aug 29, 2013

Durham
Beautiful pipe
I also generally lean to the smooths but they cost much more money than the blasted for the stated reasons
Lately I see the beauty in blasted and the other rough finishes and I can now sense that they can smoke cooler
Live and learn

effektor · Aug 30, 2013

I'm a fan of smooth pipes. I like the look and feel better than rusticated and never had an issue with them smoking hotter. I'm not saying they don't, just that it hasn't been an issue or even noticed. I have a partially rusaticated and a rusticated and neither smoke noticeably cooler. At least not enough that I care. Some rusaticated pipes a look better than others, but unless I am buying in person or can see pictures of the exact pipe I am buying I avoid them.
Of course the one posted up top? I would have no problem buying it!

hfearly · Aug 30, 2013

There's the argument that rustication hides sins that prevents the pipe from being finished as a smooth stummel.
Is this true? I believe so, yes.

I don't fully agree. Rustication is done to pipes that would be perfectly fine as smooths. Certain rustication techniques are aesthetically pleasing and feel really good to the touch. For example Castello sea rock pipes. Also, what is sandblasting other than a fancy rustication method? Would you say that Dunhill sandblasts hide the flaws in the briar? I'm not so sure.
BUT: there are a ton of cheaper pipes that are "partly" rusticated, and for those I'm almost 100% sure that the rusticated parts are present because the pipe maker found some serious issues in the wood (knots, holes, pits). But then again - I'll take a part rustication over some ugly fills any day.
One of the exceptions I've seen are Trypis pipes - the part rustication is kind of his trademark type of finish (was super popular in the 1970s so he stuck with it).

Smooth Verses Rusticated

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