Basically the headline.

My two favorite pipes were from the same manufacturer, Lorenzo of Italy. Though they were made at different periods with different aesthetic in mind, I always associated these two guys together. They’re beautiful in different ways. I abused and smoked the shit out of them during my freshman year of college, but I retained them and now they’re retired.
I missed smoking those guys and wished I hadn’t retired them, but not a week ago I stumbled across some French-made Erik Stokkebye Fourth Generation pipes that were part of the brand’s Fathers, Friends and Fire series apparently intended to commemorate this past Father’s Day. Something nostalgic hit me and I bought one of each, a sandblast and a smooth. They got here today and holy shit am I in love.

I intend these to be the spiritual successors to my beloved Lorenzos. At quick glance, they look like they can walk the walk! As is typical, the sandblasted pipe -a Rhodesian given the inverted cones of its bowl that lead to a cylindrical shank- was less expensive than the smooth version. But neither were out of reach. When I purchased the pipes I figured I’d be smitten by the darker-stained, sandblasted version. In reality, though, the grain of the smooth pipe takes the cake.
These pipes -made at the Chacom factory in France- are not identical to their Italian Lorenzo counterparts. I believe the spirit to be the same. The amber stems of the older pipes really shine through where they don’t on the Stokkebyes, but I’ve never seen two pipes in a series remind me of my all-time favorites as much as these do.

Smoking these will be another story, but I was just so taken with how the serendipity of my situation in life, me missing my dad, and me abandoning this hobby for the past few months all coincided in a manner that made me realize I needed to do something all aligned. Wish me look on these new dudes!
Things that connect us with our pasts perform a great service. I hope they are enjoyable to use, which will complete the package.
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