Most people prefer my Grade A1 and A2 pipes because they’re either unsmoked or only very lightly used. My personal favorites, though, are Grade A4 — and most of the pipes in my private collection proudly sit in that grade. I love A4s because they get extra care, and they’re never “harmed” just to look artificially flawless or to squeeze out maximum profit.

This pipe, for example, had the misfortune of being reamed a bit too aggressively by its previous owner, leaving a few reaming marks inside the bowl (no cracks, nothing structurally problematic). I could’ve sanded the chamber to remove them, but that would mean an unnecessary loss of good briar. I could also hide it with a bowl coating — but that’s something I simply won’t do. After a few bowls the pipe will build cake naturally, and the “flaw” will disappear on its own.