Sandblast Quality of Peterson PSB, Ashton LX, and Kai Nielsen Artisan

[drfear]

Hey! I am new here and new-ish to pipe smoking. I hear a lot of people talking about the quality of sandblasting as well as their opinions on what a "good" and "bad" sandblast is. I am curious to hear people's opinions on these 3 pipes. No need to worry about offending me, I am genuinely curious about what people look for. To me, they are all nice in different ways.

Left: Kai Nielsen Sandblasted Bent Brandy
Centre: Ashton LX Bent Billiard
Right: Sherlock Holmes PSB Squire P-Lip

 

[tobakenist]

All good, enjoy.

 

[Peter Turbo]

Nothing wrong with any of them but I do prefer a matte finish on my blasts like the nielsen over something glossy like the other two. Save the shine for the smooth pipes.

 

[K.E. Powell]

I'm rather enamored of all three! It's hard to choose between them, but I'm partial to the bent brandy. It has a lovely consistency that extends all the way to the shank, and the blast ripples downward almost like oil.

What constitutes a good sandblast? From a purely objective standpoint, I honestly cannot say. I know sandblasting and rustication can be more labor intensive than keeping a briar smooth, yet the former two oftentimes demands a lesser price than the latter. Part of the reason for that is because it is assumed that sandblasting and rustication are methods for hiding imperfections in the briar itself. That is certainly true.

But I find myself much more drawn to to pipes that have bold blasts and rustication or partial rustication than completely smooth surfaces. I imagine being good at blasts or rustication is a skillset all its own, one that takes practice and a bit of luck. I got plenty of smooth pipes, but a good sandblast or rustication is tops for me. I love the texture they provide in particular. I don't like to clench for long periods, so a pipe with good texture serves a pragmatic as well as aesthetic purpose.

 

[drfear]

I'm rather enamored of all three! It's hard to choose between them, but I'm partial to the bent brandy. It has a lovely consistency that extends all the way to the shank, and the blast ripples downward almost like oil.

What constitutes a good sandblast? From a purely objective standpoint, I honestly cannot say. I know sandblasting and rustication can be more labor intensive than keeping a briar smooth, yet the former two oftentimes demands a lesser price than the latter. Part of the reason for that is because it is assumed that sandblasting and rustication are methods for hiding imperfections in the briar itself. That is certainly true.

But I find myself much more drawn to to pipes that have bold blasts and rustication or partial rustication than completely smooth surfaces. I imagine being good at blasts or rustication is a skillset all its own, one that takes practice and a bit of luck. I got plenty of smooth pipes, but I really good sandblast or rustication is tops for me. I love the texture they provide in particular. I don't like to clench for long periods, so a pipe with good texture serves a pragmatic as well as aesthetic purpose.

Yeah I tend to gravitate towards rusticated pipes. Not sure why. From what I see in this forum, people tend to like deeper sandblasts. I do, however, like the Nielsen as well for the repeating patterns. As mentioned before, I am also partial to the matte finish. The finish on both the Ashton and the Peterson does feel a bit thick. I know the looks aren't supposed to matter that much, but we are all a little vain.

 

[Bbailey324]

I do like the sharpness of the blast on the Ashton.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

The craggier (new word there, guys) the better, in my humble opinion.
Here's two Dunhill's earlier one versus a later one for sand blast comparison.

 

[FLDRD]

Hey! I am new here and new-ish to pipe smoking. I hear a lot of people talking about the quality of sandblasting as well as their opinions on what a "good" and "bad" sandblast is. I am curious to hear people's opinions on these 3 pipes. No need to worry about offending me, I am genuinely curious about what people look for. To me, they are all nice in different ways.

Left: Kai Nielsen Sandblasted Bent Brandy
Centre: Ashton LX Bent Billiard
Right: Sherlock Holmes PSB Squire P-Lip

View attachment 300043

I personally like all 3, and don't find one better than another in this case.

I purchase primarily Petersons these days and can say that among that brand, I could find examples of various blasts that would look like any of these 3, depending on the line and era.

As an aside, I have found myself attracted to blasts over smooth or rusticated. It seems to be a middle ground of aesthetics, kinesthetics, and price point for me.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

For a company that mostly sells the lower end pipes, price-wise, those are some nice blasts. The sandblaster is limited to the hardness/softness of the briar, and can't exactly control patterns. The higher end craggier blasts take a lot more time, driving the prices up. Also, some artisans known for their extreme blasts might spend all day on a pipe, and it becomes more of a carving thing than a natural sandblast.

Me, I like them all. Except, my own personal tastes sway me away from the way Petersons does a rustication. Very few rustications appeal to me. But, a few I like... searocks, etc... the ones that look more natural.

 

[drfear]

For a company that mostly sells the lower end pipes, price-wise, those are some nice blasts. The sandblaster is limited to the hardness/softness of the briar, and can't exactly control patterns. The higher end craggier blasts take a lot more time, driving the prices up. Also, some artisans known for their extreme blasts might spend all day on a pipe, and it becomes more of a carving thing than a natural sandblast.

Me, I like them all. Except, my own personal tastes sway me away from the way Petersons does a rustication. Very few rustications appeal to me. But, a few I like... searocks, etc... the ones that look more natural.

Have you seen many of the "PSB" pipes that are supposed to be nicer sandblasts from Peterson? This one is my only experience.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Sorry

Have you seen many of the "PSB" pipes that are supposed to be nicer sandblasts from Peterson? This one is my only experience.

I had to google it. I had not, but I am just not a Sherlock Holmes fan. The only Petes I am really impressed with are the more modern spigots.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I think it depends upon the shape, the grain and the finish that is trying to be achieved. A deep blast may be the ticket on one pipe while a shallower blast might look best on another. I think higher end Artisans are going to be better more often than not as they will likely be varying the blast based upon the factors I mentioned while Peterson is more likely to take a lot of pipes and blast them all similarly as they are a volume, factory made pipe. I'm not implying there's anything wrong with Peterson, that's just the nature of the beast. In general, if you look at Castello which is a high end pipe, their Old Antiquari blast pipes tend to have a similar style of blast.

 

[FLDRD]

Have you seen many of the "PSB" pipes that are supposed to be nicer sandblasts from Peterson? This one is my only experience.

PSB (Peterson Sand Blast) is supposed to be a better / nicer blast than their "regulars", but I've not always found that to be the case. If there's a large release and you have several to compare when looking, you can often find a regularly priced blast that could have made it to the PSB level in a different run.

 

[dPero]

If they smoke good great if not who cares about how they look. It’s all aesthetic

 

[sablebrush52]

Since you asked, I'll answer. The Neilson is a picture perfect example of the Danish approach to the sandblast, detailed refined, controlled. I admire i but do not like it. Danish blasts are "why bother" blasts to me.

My preference is for a deeper blast, more detailed, more gnarly, These refined blasts are a hedged bet and a pair of hairless balls. You can do interesting things with a sandblast:

instead of being a pussy about it.

The Peterson looks a bit soft. It has better depth, but less than great detail. It's a solid "B", mass market blast.

The Ashton is marginally better, with a little more clarity in its detail, over the Peterson. It gets a B+ - A -

 

[drfear]

Since you asked, I'll answer. The Neilson is a picture perfect example of the Danish approach to the sandblast, detailed refined, controlled. I admire i but do not like it. Danish blasts are "why bother" blasts to me.

My preference is for a deeper blast, more detailed, more gnarly, These refined blasts are a hedged bet and a pair of hairless balls. You can do interesting things with a sandblast:

instead of being a pussy about it.

The Peterson looks a bit soft. It has better depth, but less than great detail. It's a solid "B", mass market blast.

The Ashton is marginally better, with a little more clarity in its detail, over the Peterson. It gets a B+ - A -

Good insight! What is that pipe you shared?

 

[solideogloria86]

I think this Ryan Alden blast is pretty spectacular. Nice and craggy with 360° ring grain. I'm a little biased though, because it belongs to me.

 

[irishearl]

PSB (Peterson Sand Blast) is supposed to be a better / nicer blast than their "regulars", but I've not always found that to be the case. If there's a large release and you have several to compare when looking, you can often find a regularly priced blast that could have made it to the PSB level in a different run.

The blast on my regular, old Squire looks pretty "PSB"-y.

 

[solideogloria86]

I guess I should also attempt to answer your question about the "quality" of a sandblast. Sandblasting is purely aesthetic. It's all about looks. If you like the way a blast looks, it's a good one. Whether one blast is worth more money than another one, is also something you decide. As @sablebrush52 pointed out, there are different approaches and executions in blasting, and the refined tight blast can be sold for the same price as a deep craggy blast. 360° ring grain isn't going to smoke any better than a smooth finish. You summed it up best when you said
" To me, they are all nice in different ways."

 

[sablebrush52]

Good insight! What is that pipe you shared?

It’s a volcano made by American pipe carver Paul Tatum.