Update: I got my Erik Stokkebye Fourth Generation pipes to take over for my dad’s Lorenzos.

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!