Black Blast Classics

[mso489]

Dunhill does them with splendor. Dunhill's everyman pipe manufacturer Parker does them too. Along with Ashton, Britannia, Chacom, and BC, not to mention Johs and many or most other pipe makers. They're the austere but ever-popular black sandblast pipes; many of them, even the high-end versions, don't even descend to a band for adornment. They have the magic of simplicity, and the grandeur of the color black, with texture to add a little mystery. Do you have a black blast? Do you like them? Or not so much? I have only one completely black blast, a Parker poker/cherrywood, but several others that have some brighter stained bands along with the black blast, like a Johs Dublin, Canadian, and Diplomat. I always get a little tug of attraction with these. Less is more.

 

[deathmetal]

Less is more.

An important design principle which is often forgotten. I think I like black blasts better than the brown version. Something more rock-like about them.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Odd man out here. I prefer light brown or no stain on blasts. Black just looks too unnatural to me.

 

[prndl]

I have only one...a Castello Old Antiquari billiard.
Imo, it's quite the looker for such a good smoker. I always seem to look forward to picking it out of the rack.

 

[cynicismandsugar]

I somewhat agree with Flash-Duane; while I don't mind black sandblast, I much prefer a "naturalistic" approach to a sandblasted finish. Of course, aesthetics are highly subjective.

 

[mso489]

It IS counterintuitive. I have a number of non-black blasts which I really like -- a Luciano straight billiard, the Sav straight apple I won in the pipesmagazine cartoon caption contest, to name only two. I think black blasts are a different concept, really a different animal. They have their own separate aura, which I like.

 

[seacaptain]

Chacom 862. Great pipe, I like it.
I do think black pipes really need a band though, which adds class. Otherwise, they look "murdered out" to borrow a car phrase.

 

[davet]

Pictures, we need pictures!

 

[cobguy]

I have a few and really like them ... especially with a shank or rim left smooth to offset it.
The one's that come to mind in my collection are a Stanwell Brushed Black and a Designs Berlin Black Sandblast
Here's the Stanwell:

My recently acquired Castello Sea Rock is dark but the mahogany comes thru in the light:

 

[blackbeard]

While the second isn't exactly "black" it's close enough. I haven't bothered with getting it all pretty, restored to be smoked, didn't want to mess with it much aside from that. My two best smokers!
Here is my new 2015 Savinelli Saint Nicholas 703KS

Then a Bradberry Classic 320 (black enough)

 

[bungee]

Gorgeous pipes! I like that Castelló a lot.
Here's my Pete POY 2014. Since I got it, about a month ago, I seem to reech for it a lot.
Cheers,
J

 

[blackbeard]

Bungee, I love that pipe. Very nice.
Seems something went wrong with the image for the Bradberry...it worked for a while. So here it is again.
Bradberry Classic 320. Italy marked on the ferrule.

 

[jpmcwjr]

All nice pipes up there!
I love a deeply blasted or rusticated black pipe and found a fine one at the recent pipe show, an older Sav. I've not seen many brown or natural ones, but will be on the lookout.

 

[buckaroo]

Many don't like black pipes but how could you not like the old blasted ones at least.

 

[mso489]

I even like ebony smooth pipes. I have a Peterson bent brandy Killarney B11 "dress pipe," that has a lot of bowl but is fairly light weight. It does have two slender silver tone bands, very tastefully done.

 

[cynicismandsugar]

I'll admit that ebony pipes are black-tie appropriate -- but something about that particular finish feels wrong in my hand. It's just personal taste on my part, as there's nothing innately wrong with an ebony pipe, and I've never had performance issues with any of mine.
However, I do like a black sandblast over smooth ebony (or just smooth, in general).
... I've really got to get a round to posting some photos on this post.

 

[papipeguy]

I have several black rusticated pipes. A Ser Jacapo 8 paneled billiard, Savinelli Trevi billiard, BC Jumbo Rustic billiard, Pioneer black bent meer. They all look great to me but at the end of the day it's bout how they smoke and all of them do very well.

 

[kaan]

Black blasts and smooth blacks always tell me to "suit up!". I will buy one to smoke it while i am in a tuxedo. Weddings and etc. Wait for me!

 

[seacaptain]

Savinelli has a new Vesuvio line that's pretty cool looking. All black but a smooth red rim.

 

[okiescout]

http://i.imgur.com/BlKbNIy.jpg
I am really open depending on the pipe.