Amiel - French (Algerian) Estate Pipe

Brand: Amiel

Given the brand's history, I can say this is quite a special pipe. In 1932 the first pipe factory in Algeria opened its doors under the name Raoul Amiel. It was a mysterious factory about which very little is known. Since the pipe-making techniques certainly came from Saint-Claude, it was hard to tell their pipes apart from their French counterparts.

Especially with its smooth-finish pipes, it was a brand of genuinely very high quality. However, this example in our hands and the brand's history tell us that this pipe probably dates to between 1935 and 1955 and that "Algerian briar" was used.

 

Shank: Light in color and very clean.

 

Draft Hole (Air Hole): Dead center in the chamber and flush with the chamber floor.

 

Chamber Cleanliness: Very well reamed and quite symmetrical.

 

Condition: 7/10

 

Flaws: None.

 

Score: 6/10

 

Comment: It has an interesting history. Although Algerian briar was very widely used back then, it is now hard to find even as an estate. A 6 because it is rusticated; otherwise a 7-point French estate pipe.  Very light; keeping a slow pace will be very important with this pipe.