Rustication, Con and Pro

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,435
Rustication, yes it's used to cover a world of "sin," imperfections by the boatload, and it can be slapdash, funky, funny, folksy, cheap-looking, misguided, and plain ugly. On the other hand, some is done with artistry and craftsmanship and comes over as its own genre, carefully done and with dignity. And sometimes folksy or funky or other original approaches have their own commendable qualities. I have a number of rusticated pipes, and semi-rusticated pipes that seem to me to be done with a tasteful touch, that I really like. As with other finishes, textures, and modes, rustication can go extremely well or horribly wrong. But I take it on a pipe-by-pipe basis, on the premise that some rustication can be acceptable, and some is good, and other is excellent. Some of the goodness, and some of the ugliness, is in the eye of the beholder.

 

tkcolo

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 30, 2018
240
328
51
Granby, CO
I am drawn to pretty, smooth pipes for sure, but I end up using them less for fear of keeping them pretty. I love a classic or craggy blast, and I turn to those on a more everyday basis. It's not a conscious decision though - it just happens.
I don't like almost every other rustication. And some blasts are weird too. The craggier the better!

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I currently have 2 pipes out of around 85 that are rusticated. One is my first pipe a Savinelli and the other is a Michael Parks. I prefer the look of a sandblast so that is what I buy. I do like the looks of a Castello Sea Rock rustication and the old Caminetto's were pretty cool as well.

 

irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,146
3,762
Kansas
Rustication of done right is great.Nearly 40% of my pipes are rusticated with a few models looking better that way than in their smooth version.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,082
Carmel Valley, CA
Searock rocks, and a well done rustication by others is fine. Many, however, suck, but then I don't have to buy them.
Initially I thought of Quaints, which categorically I don't like. At least not the ones I've seen. Hopefully there're some exceptions out there.

 

npod

Lifer
Jun 11, 2017
2,942
1,024
Rusticated pipes look cool next to handguns. That's a "pro".

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alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,248
Alaska
I did not like the look of rustication at all when I first started smoking pipes. I think this is probably because I am a bit of a "wood guy." Woodworking, building furniture, cabins, etc. so the grain of beautifully stained wood is something close to my heart, and thus the smooth finishes drew most of my attention.
After a while they slowly began to grow on me. As mso said, I take it on a pipe by pipe basis. Some I find to look elegant, old school, charming.........others just look like lumpy turds. I still definitely favor smooth finishes, but there are 4 or 5 rusticated/sandblasted/pebble grain pipes in my collection of 30 or so that I definitely like.

 

sasquatch

Lifer
Jul 16, 2012
1,683
2,862
When I teach guys to rusticate, I tell them it doesn't hardly matter what the texture comes out as - chunky, gnarly, super fine, whatever, but do ALL of it. As soon as it looks like bite-marks out of a smooth (like that first Derry) then it has a drug-store look to it. But done well with a little care, it's probably my preferred finish. I have a few smooths around here, but most of what gets used a lot is rustic or blasted.

 

redglow

Lifer
Jan 7, 2019
1,822
4,043
Michigan
Rusticated is my favorite. I bought a few smooth pipes and when they arrived, I was kind of having buyers remorse only because they lacked the personality of a rusticated.

 

dcon

Lifer
Mar 16, 2019
2,636
21,489
Jacksonville, FL
Just as I like many kinds of tobacco, I like many (most) pipe styles. I believe that nothing beats a straight grain for beauty. Rusticated pipes are comfort pipes and have a different beauty of their own.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,260
108,378
I prefer sandblasts, but Savinelli's Capri and corallo rustications are welcome in my collection.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,435
sas', interesting point about partial rustication. I think partial rustication can work, but I really take your point that as a technique, it is a high level of difficulty. A few pipe makers do it well, so that though you may know it covers over flaws, it is done so it looks balanced and like accents rather than cover-ups. I think Mogen Johansen (Johs) does this well, as does the North Carolina carver Jerry Perry. But if the average new pipe carver does it, it can look, as you say, like a drugstore pipe. It is an accommodation to imperfections in briar, but if done well, it can be visually pleasing.

 

mtwaller

Lifer
Nov 21, 2018
1,311
5,333
34
Atlanta, GA
I just scored a rusticated Sherlock Holmes Strand from ‘96 and the rustication is fantastic on that thing. Very methodical and obviously hand done with care and attention. Looks quite a bit nicer than some of the more modern rusticated Pete’s IMO. Some of the newer Donegal Rocky’s sort of look like they strayed too close to a wood chipper

 
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