Blog by Steve Laug

I picked this pipe up for a really cheap price on EBay. It came in a beautiful handmade wooden box lined with dark blue velvet on the inside of the box and the lid. The lid also has the golden Ronson logo. Ronson is famous for the lighters that they make but after receiving and smoking this beauty I would also say they make a fine pipe. The pipe came with a leather pipe sock and a certificate of authentication for the Centenary version of the pipe. The workmanship on this pipe is very nice. I have smoked it quite a bit since that time and it is a great smoke. Since I had the day off today I decided to also write a review on this one. The length of the pipe is 5.8 inches and the bowl height is 2 inches. The chamber diameter is .8 inches and depth is 1.8 inches. It is a large pipe but weighs 78 grams. It is a good fit in the hand. The overall shape is something like a bent bulldog. There is a sterling silver band on the shank with sheaves of laurels. The stamping is on the sides and the bottom of the triangular shank. It is stamped on the left side Ronson using the Ronson logo type and on the right side 47. On the underside of the shank it is stamped RONSON over CENTENARY over 1896-1996 and surrounded by Laurels. That dates the pipe to 1996. It came to me unsmoked.

The finish on the outside of the pipe is smooth and has some great grain. The bowl is surrounded by flame grain/straight grain. The top of the bowl cap and the bottom of the bowl and shank has some beautiful birdseye grain. This is a big looking and feeling pipe but it is comfortable in the hand. The carvers have achieve a carving that fits equally well in both the right and the left hand. The double rings turned into the bowl to separate the bowl from the bulldog cap are really nicely cut. The band is integrated into the shank and has a smooth band on the shank side and the stem side with sheaves of laurels cast or carved into the centre space of the band. The stain appears to be multilayered with a black understain to highlight the beautiful grain on the briar and then topped with a light brown and possible an orange over stain. I believe it is also topped with a shellac coat to give it a great shine.

The stem is a well made half saddle stem handcrafted from acrylic. The blade of the stem is well tapered, quite short and thin without sacrificing durability. The saddle meets the blade on the top surface at a 90 degree angle and has been polished to a shine. The logo insert on the stem is a steel circle with an orange centre that matches the stain on the briar. The triangular shape of the stem to the saddle is nicely done and almost pinched looking where it sits against the band.

Interestingly the shank and stem are the same dimensions on all three sides. From the 90 degree saddle the blade is flattened and curved toward the edges giving it a very refined look. It tapers very gradually back to the button. It is a comfortable bit in the mouth. The tenon is an integral part of the acrylic stem and is chamfered/countersunk and well polished. The button thin at the edges with a very slight rise to the centre top and bottom, forming an eye shaped end view. The lip on the button is very slight but still fits well behind the teeth for a comfortable feel. The draught hole in the end of the button is also funneled to deliver a mouthpiece that has the same diameter from start to finish. Comfortable and well executed. A pipe cleaner passes easily through the pipe with no obstruction.

The internal mechanics of the pipe are very well executed. The bowl chamber is drilled to a ¾ inch diameter. The inner edge of the bowl us straight and clean to the rim. The outer edge is sharp and clean. The top rim is smooth and nicely covered with birdseye. The side of the cap taper perfectly to the double rings carved into the bowl. The sides taper up to meet the double rings. The bowl was coated with what appeared to be a carbon coat not sure if it is water glass or an organic coating. I do recall that the first smoke did not have any residual taste coming through from the bowl coating. The cake built up on the bowl very easily. The draught hole is centered at the bottom of the bowl and seems to have a slight funnel leading into the shank and stem. There is a very easy and open draw to the pipe. The fit of the stem to the shank is excellent – smooth and tight with no light showing at the joint. The band is applied in a unique way as can be seen from the picture below. It is cast with a centre ring that encloses the mortise area and then truss like sides leading out to the edges of the band. The look leads me to think that it is a strongly made connection. I really like the way the shank was cut to house the banding structure. The band is thus an integral part of the shank rather than just an appliqué. The tenon sits deep in the mortise against the bottom. The airway is at the top of the mortise rather than centered in the middle of the mortise but does not seem to inhibit the use of a pipe cleaner during the smoke. The fit of the tenon is smooth and tight. The edges of the tenon have been polished and rounded and the airhole countersunk so that it meets the airway in the mortise. The pipe does not whistle or gurgle when smoked. The airways are smooth and polished with no rough edges.

I have smoked this pipe many times since I received it from EBay. It was nice to be the one who smoked the inaugural bowl in this pipe. I chose to smoke English blends in it as it delivers a very full and flavourful smoke that allows the intricacies of Latakia to really come through. I really like smoking Blue Mountain in this pipe as I get to taste the dimensions of that tobacco really well with the pipe. The tobacco packs easily and burns well after the second light. It ends up being a pipe that I sit and enjoy on the porch. It is heavy in my mouth so I sit and hold the bowl and enjoy the sights and sounds of the neighbourhood as smoke it. The draught on the pipe is superb delivering a smoke that is uncomplicated and effortless. The Italian carver who made this pipe for Ronson did a superb job and delivered a beautiful Centenary pipe for the company to sell to its customers. I am glad to have acquired this beauty.