Rusticated & Sandblasted Rhodesian with Silver (L2) (2506) Tobacco Pipe

Larry Roush was a jeweler who loved pipes, so he started using his professional skills to add decorative silver and gold bands to his personal pipes. He taught Mike Butera how to do it, and Mike taught him how to make pipes, sort of. Mike offered advice, but let Larry figure out a lot on his own so he'd remember it and understand the experimentation process. Larry eventually became very popular, but left pipemaking for a few years to return to jewelry before coming back to pipes, where he's been since. Stylistically, his pipes are beefy and robust, often with tapered shank and stem combinations, as with the Rhodesian pictured here. The finish is a combination of rustication and sandblasting. While the surface looks rusticated, on closer look the sandblasted grain of the briar is visible on the carved surface for a remarkably unique finish. And of course, like all of Larry's pieces, it has a precious metal band, this one of sterling silver.