What's your fave finish? Smooth or Blasted?

[monbla256]

Being retired I had some time on my hands today and laid out ALL 106 pipes I have counted the finishes on them. Seems I prefer blasted ( NOT rusticated! ) finishes to smooth with 64 of my pipes being Blasted and the rest Smooth. Just curious, what's your fave? :twisted:

 

[Brewdude]

While I appreciate a great smooth finish, have to say a good blast that really lets the grain show off in a sea shell kind of pattern is my fave, including and especially if the stain sets this off. Love the tactile feel in the hand.

Some of the best blasters out there are also American artisans such as these (but not limited to nor in any particular order).

Rad Davis
Mark Tinsky
Jesse Jones
Cartaphilus

And this is only based on pipes I own. Other well known US carvers also offer great blasts like I've seen in pics but never had the pleasure of handling or owning. Several come to mind-

Todd Harris
J.T. Cooke

If I've omitted anyone of note here it's not intentional!



Cheers,

RR

 

[Puff Daddy]

I would take a nice blast or even a very well done rustication (ala Castello Sea Rock) over a smooth any day. Especially given the fact that you'll pay less for a really, really nice blast than you will for a pretty decently grained but not terribly special smooth.

 

[KevinM]

Blast, please. My favorite pipes have a look about them that suggests they were a natural object at one time. Also, when I’m out there on a cold, breezy day they’re easier to hang on to. So I like rusticated, too, but not quite as much as a nice, grain showing blast. Smooth is okay, but not too polished. And if a pipe has shiny bits to it, the less conspicuous the better.

 

[Zeno Marx]

rustication > blast > smooth

I still don't want fills in any case. I prefer rustication because it is often unique to a maker. These days, that is also often the case with the blasting. However, as I've said previously on the board more than once, I do not care for "arty" rustication, ie Ardor's Meteora. I find such rustication to be entirely undesirable. Straight-up as ugly as it gets in pipe making.

EDIT: if I go for a smooth, which I rarely do, I'm looking for birdseye. birdseye is a superior aesthetic to straight grain.

 

[Richard Burley]

Black sandblast for me, like a Dunhill Shell. Smooths are OK once they acquire a good patina.

 

[BriarPipeNYC]

Smooth....IF, I want to pay the extra vig for a pipe with great grain, but blasted or rusticated pipe would be my choice. These pipes are far more interesting to look at and to feel, I think.

 

[Idlefellow]

Depends on the pipe.  I have some smooth pipes that, IMHO, just wouldn't look right blasted or rusticated.  I've always felt - perhaps incorrectly - that blasted pipes had been deemed inferior for whatever reason; maybe poor grain or maybe with a small flaw, and were blasted to cover it.  That said, I have many blasted and also rusticated pipes that I love and that just wouldn't look "right" any other way to my eye.  I agree that rustication is the trickiest finish, and if not done correctly can really ruin a pipe.

 

[ftrplt]

Have many of all three finishes. Smooths primary (largely due to a goodly number of older pipes/seconds from 50+ years ago!!), then blasts (I love'em), rusticateds last but not least!!! With dang near 200 pipes (all kinds), I just love'em all!!!! :cheers: FTRPLT

 

[Falcon Puffer]

I like sandblasts.

 

[JimInks]

I like sandblasts and have a lot of them (same goes for rusticateds), but I prefer smooth so long as they aren't the shiny kind that get warm fast.

 

[hobie1dog]

If it's not as smooth as a baby's butt, I am not interested.

 

[Slowroll]

I definitely prefer smooths with interesting grain.
It is true that blasts were originally done to cover flaws, probably a lot still are. I always aim for a smooth when I make a pipe, and only blast if flawed.

 

[ak2000]

Blast or hand rusticated is my preference and dark finishes.

 

[cigrmaster]

2/3rds of my pipes are sandblasted and I love looking at a nice blast. I also have my share of smooth pipes with all but 5 being Willmer AAA Staight Grains. I bought the Willmers for their smoking properties and the nice grain was just a bonus.
The only rusticated pipe I own is the first pipe I ever bought a Savinelli.

When I first began collecting pipes I was all about the grain. I soon learned that I cannot smoke grain and re worked my collection to what it is today. Of all the smooths, I like Birdseye the best followed by flame grain. Lately the grain whore has been sitting on my shoulder telling me to buy some shiny new pipes. I have fought her so far, but I may be weakening.

This Radice has me all in a tither.
https://www.alpascia.com/pipes/d/Radice-268-i39919.html

 

[Deleted member 2386]

I guess my collection is close to an even split and I love ‘em all, but am right there with Zeno in preferring rusticated or blasted pipes to those with a fill, and appreciating rich birdseye more than straight grains. Shape also plays into it a little—I think a lot of bents look best with a craggy surface.

Ultimately tho it comes down to the individual piece. When I commissioned a custom design from Mark Tinsky last year we talked about it being a naked coral, since I love what he does with those. Yet then the grain ended up being so nice on the briar that we agreed a smooth finish with contrast stain to make it pop was the way to go. Now that I’ve had it a while I can imagine it rusticated.

 

[huffelpuff]

Preference is given to blasts here. Followed by rusticated then smooth. I just prefer the tactile nature to look how pretty the grain is.

 

[hobie1dog]

Can't help but think of a ball sack in the Artic when I see a blasted pipe

 

[Brewdude]

Can't help but think of a ball sack in the Artic when I see a blasted pipe

I googled this but it was too gross to post- even for the likes of me, and would exceed forum protocol..........

ale:


Cheers?

RR

 

[Walkman]

I favor sandblasted pipes, but actually own more smooth than blasted/rusticated.