Pfeifenbox

Brands

Roland Schwarz

Tier:

Affordable	Mid-grade	Elevated	High-grade	Top
	X

Maker's website: http://www.roland-briars.de

Country: Germany

Price: € 80+

Production method:

Factory	Machine-assisted	Freehand
		X

Notes: Roland Schwarz has only just 'gone public' with his pipes, but has already won the attention of some very demanding collectors in Europe and the USA. His interest in carving was born about three years ago, when he started purchasing and restoring estates for his own collection. He attributes his swift progress to the support of German carver Jan Harry.

Roland very roughly pre-turns his bowls by hand, before sanding the final shape. There are no fills, though small spots are likely on lower-grade pieces (for grading information, see the maker's own website).

Comments: Priced very competitively, these are some of the best pipes I have ever seen by a newcomer. Roland admits that he has some way to go before his shapes "speak their own language", but has set himself very high standards in terms of execution. His stem work is already superb, producing comfortable and thin bits regardless of the material chosen. Engineering leaves almost nothing to be desired. In future, Roland says he will be going for a wider, 4mm bore.

Given both the meticulous nature of his work and the acclaim he has already received, I am almost certain that Roland's pipes will achieve 'Elevated' status, at least.

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