Vauen Auenland Almar Sandblast Tobacco Pipe

Beautiful craftsmanship and quality. Very artistic piece.

But I'm not really sorry because this IS a really nice pipe. I started smoking a pipe about 15 years ago and I have some nice little bent pipes and a bulldog and a few clay pipes...but I'll tell you, I really have a thing for the long pipes of the Lord of the Rings films. Gandalf's pipe is especially nice. My first attempt was with MacQueen and their Wizard pipe. I obviously ordered it in briar and it IS a nice pipe and very much a handmade piece. It has its flaws but I do like it. Looking around for more options I came across this pipe and while not a direct translation of the pipe seen on film, for that you'd probably want the Eron, it IS a very unique shape and the sandblast finish just adds more detail to the look over all. The coloring on this version is also very nice. I love how it starts dark on the tip of the stem, goes into a lighter color that shows off the wood grain before going darker again and then giving way to that sandblasted bowl with dark and light colors all mixed in and then finishes on an even darker color around the mouth of the chamber, giving it a more, almost used look. The bowl shape is more bulbus with a great curled up lip and a nice point on the bottom. The over all feel is perfection in the hand and very comfy. I also really appreciate the acrylic mouth piece as well. It's nice to not suck on wet wood. Additionally, the 9mm filter chamber in the tenon is a nice feature and much appreciated. I may not exactly be a daily smoker but it's nice to have this as an option. Smoking this pipe has been great. Vauen says you don't need to break this in and it appears to be true thanks to their chamber coating. This pipe smokes smooth and dry and clean. If I had any issues with the pipe is that thanks to the 9mm chamber in the tenon, the walls of said tenon are a tad thin. I have read a couple reviews where people complained theirs broke. Over all I am very satisfied with this pipe and it is now in my normal rotation. So yes, I'm sorry I bought the last one...but I'm not THAT sorry.