A pleasant surprise

- by Erwin Van Hove -

I have a principle: when a pipe is a big disappointment, I never post a review in a newsgroup, on a message board or on a website. I want to go public solely when I have positive things to say about the work of a carver. Yet, when recently I bought a Renaissance Productions pipe, I told Random I would make an exception for him. Not because I'm biased, not because I want to hurt his business. But because Random is… well, an outspoken loudmouth. Because he himself doesn't feel any qualms about publicly criticising established pipe makers.

The piece I purchased is one of his 'OnePiece' pipes with a non-removable Ultem stem that is epoxy-glued to the shank. Moreover, on an aesthetical level, obviously it isn't a pipe that meets the canons of classic beauty: while to certain eyes it might have some rustic appeal, it definitely looks quite cheap.

When the parcel arrived, the first thing that struck me, was that the pipe looks much better 'in person' than on Random's website. The colours are much deeper than on the pics, and there is an undeniable harmony between the shiny, light brown all birds-eye rim, the carved bowl with a lot of contrast and the amber colour stem. Of course, this is definitely not a crowd pleaser, but I for one like it a lot. Especially the look and the feel of the carving. The effect of this deep carving is both dramatic and 'gothic'. It's quite fascinating.

The weight of the pipe is acceptable and it is a pleasure to hold in the hand. The proportions are good. The transition between stem and shank feels very smooth and there is no visible trace at all of the epoxy glue. The air hole is dead centre, and the bore does not taper. A pipe cleaner passes with ease. The tobacco chamber is well designed and is as smooth as a baby's bottom. It doesn't present any flaws. One negative point is that the inside of the airway in the stem could have been better polished.

When I put the pipe in my mouth, I can feel a well-shaped, pleasant button, but the bit feels a bit too thick for my taste. Having said this, it isn't really thicker than most Italian lucite bits. The Ultem feels harder than ebonite, but softer than lucite. As a matter of fact, it feels better than lucite. It is easy to clench and is definitely not a jaw breaker. There is no whistle - the draw feels open and natural. Time to light up.

First smoke is a latakia blend. A pleasant surprise: the first puffs are definitely very mellow. The pipe performs excellently - the open and straight airway delivers a full taste, the smoke is cool and dry. At mid bowl, I insert a pipe cleaner to check for humidity, but it comes out almost dry. The tobacco burns down easily to the heel. I've smoked it six days in a row and the pipe has chosen what it wants to be: a latakia pipe. When I smoked a pure VA flake in it, it lost its mellow, sweet taste and produced some bitterness.

Now that I'm used to the bit that is thicker than most of my stems, I really enjoy smoking this pipe. I like its looks, I like the way it feels, and I like the effortless, open draw that allows the tobacco to smoulder easily (without forcing me to puff like a madman) and that delivers a full taste. After six days of smoking, I notice there aren't any tooth marks at all on the Ultem bit, though I'm a clencher. So I guess I won't have bite-through problems on this glued stem. I'm sure that if I clean the airway regularly with alcohol in order to avoid constrictions, the non-removable stem won't be an issue.

At first the pipe was priced over $300. I wouldn't pay that much for this kind of pipe. I paid $120 for it, shipping included. I don't regret my purchase and I have no intention whatsoever of selling it again. If Random would work some more on his bits, and if he would consider making pipes that would appeal to a broader audience, I'm sure he could have a future as a pipe maker. There is one condition: he urgently needs to come up with a credible price policy.