Northern Briars G4 Lovat Banded Roxcut Regal NB-272

• Overall Length: 143mm
• Overall Height: 55mm
• Bowl Height: 55mm
• Bowl Diameter: 42mm
• Bore: 22mm
• Weight: 67g
• Leather pipe bag included
• Unfiltered
• One off Pipes
• Handmade in England

Northern Briars began life in 1958 as George Walker's pipe repair workshop. When Ian joined the family business in 1972 he wasn't simply taught how to make pipes; he learnt why pipes fail, what makes one smoke sweetly for decades, and how the smallest detail can transform an ordinary smoker into a favourite companion. That apprenticeship still shows in every pipe that leaves his Stockport workshop.

The Lovat has long been one of Britain's great working shapes. With its tall cylindrical bowl and slightly longer shank, it carries itself with quiet confidence. Walk into any old pipe club during the middle of the last century and there was every chance someone would have a Lovat tucked comfortably into the corner of their mouth while putting the world to rights over a mug of tea. It is a shape that has earned its place through comfort rather than fashion.

This Group 4 example wears Northern Briars' distinctive Roxcut Regal finish, a rugged hand-rustication that gives the briar plenty of character whilst leaving the rim neatly polished. The deep burgundy tones hiding beneath the darker stain catch the light beautifully, giving the pipe warmth that photographs only hint at. Between bowl and stem sits a hallmarked sterling silver band, adding just enough refinement to balance the rugged finish.

The hand-cut German vulcanite stem is fitted and finished in-house, delivering the effortless draw Northern Briars has become known for amongst seasoned pipe smokers. Fill it with a favourite Virginia, a hearty English mixture or a dependable Burley blend and it quickly becomes the sort of pipe that mysteriously finds its way back into your hand more often than the others on the rack.

There's an old Yorkshire saying that a good hammer always ends up nearest the door because it's the one everyone reaches for. Much the same can be said of a well-made pipe.