Design Berlin Amber II Straight 9mm Briar Pipe DBP034

• Overall Length: 149mm
• Overall Height: 37mm
• Bowl Height: 37mm
• Bowl Diameter: 44mm
• Bore: 20mm
• Weight: 44g
• Filter: 9mm

There are some pipes where the stem is simply the bit between the shank and the smoker. Design Berlin's Amber II DBP034 certainly isn't one of them.

The great splash of golden amber running along the mouthpiece is what gives this pipe its character. Made from marbled acrylic, it has a wonderfully irregular mixture of honey-yellow, cream and darker flecks, deliberately recalling the appearance of natural amber. The pattern continues throughout the stem rather than merely being applied to its surface, and the small white DB emblem sits neatly towards the shank.

Design Berlin has sensibly kept the bowl comparatively traditional. The straight Apple shape has a broad, rounded bowl, gently tapering rim and a short straight shank. Its smooth brown polish allows plenty of the briar to remain visible, and this particular pipe has some especially busy figuring around the left side of the bowl, with birdseye-like patterning mingling with broader areas of grain.

Between the two sits a broad polished metal mount. It is a small detail in terms of size, but an important one visually: the bright silver-coloured band separates the brown briar from the golden acrylic and gives the whole pipe a rather smart three-part appearance.

The DBP034 is also drilled for a 9mm filter, making it compatible with the widely available 9mm pipe filters used across much of Design Berlin's range.

The result is an unusual looking pipe that hasn't required an unusual shape to make its point. The Apple bowl is familiar and nicely proportioned; all the exuberance has been saved for that tremendous amber-coloured stem. Under good light it ought to look particularly handsome.