Larry Roush Pipes

Those of you who know me are aware that I don't make a habit of personally endorsing a particular pipe or pipemaker. For over forty years as a pipe smoker and collector, it's something I've rarely done. In this case, however, it's pure pleasure - almost as good as a bowl of fine tobacco in a Roush pipe. I've known Larry Roush since 1991, not only as an artist, craftsman, and pipemaker, but also as a good friend. There are a lot of fine pipemakers crafting pipes today, and a few exceptional ones. Larry is one of those exceptional artists who turned his talents to making one of the finest pipes available anywhere today. His imagination seems unlimited and his skill remarkable - it never ceases to amaze me. More than anything else, it's the quality of his workmanship that attracts my attention. Years ago, his pipes were equal to the finest production high grades but today, the only comparisons that can be made are to the best individual pipe makers anywhere. When buying a Roush pipe, new or pre-smoked, my only criteria is shape, because I know the smoking quality and expert workmanship will be there for me from the first bowl.

Regis McCafferty
Co-Founder, past President, current Board member
North American Society of Pipe Collectors

Who is the top US pipe maker? A question I hear all the time. While it does boil down to personal opinion there are certain things that are fail proof. Pipes made by Larry Roush; are made with the finest materials, are engineered to exacting specifications, have the absolute best silver and gold work, and smoke great. It is no wonder that Larry Roush's pipes sell as fast and faster than he can make them.
In all the Roush pipes I have seen, NOT 1 would fail a pipe cleaner test, NOT 1 showed a light gap between shank and stem, NOT 1 had a poor finish on bowl, stem, or button. These are pipes made by a man that will allow nothing less than his best on each and every pipe no matter the style, shape, or finish on each pipe. So who is the best US maker? If my opinion counts I would say Larry Roush.

Michael J. Glukler
Briar Blues - new & estate pipes

Larry Roush, in case you haven’t noticed, has a certain flair. I don’t say that only because of his pipes. I’ve known Larry prior to his becoming a pipe maker, when we used to attend pipe shows together. He had that flair then, too. It’s deeply imbedded in his makeup. Now, he’s able to apply that certain something to his pipe making, and it comes out in every single pipe he makes. No question, you can spot a Roush pipe from across the room. For this word of praise, I’d like to be able to say something clever and new about his pipes, but I think it’s all been said…both before me and better than me. His craftsmanship is truly impeccable. He’s an old tool and die maker and a perfectionist. He’s blessed (or cursed, if you see it that way) with a rare artistic and creative streak. He respects the value of the classic shapes, because they feel right and smoke right, but he tinkers with those shapes just enough to provide a distinctive (shall I say it?) flair to them. And he’s always working, (hard I’m sure…but he never makes it sound as though it’s hard work) to improve his pipes, whether it’s on drilling technique, staining technique, sanding technique, stem making technique or design. I know this because he often tells me about his newest technical discovery, as though I might actually comprehend. He will not stand for “good enough” and will probably never rest on his laurels, until he decides he’s made his last pipe. Let’s hope that’s many, many pipes away. When they were among the best made cars in the world, Packard had a motto…”ask the man who owns one.” You can definitely use that motto for Roush pipes, although it’s odds on that he will own far more than just one.

Marty Pulvers
Sherlocks Haven
San Francisco, CA

If attention to detail, precision craftsmanship and smoking qualities were the only things by which one judges a fine pipe, Roush's creations would satisfy even the most finicky collector, but Larry goes beyond this, and provides a unique style and an aesthetic sensibility that is all his own. He takes ideas, and shapes them into wonderful smoking instruments of unparalleled quality and consistency. Whether rusticated, sandblasted or smooth, his pipes are instantly recognizable, and smoke with clarity and ease. His finishing is always flawless, and his treatment of the briar and impeccable care with the internals provide a smoking experience that is second to none. There is no need to "break-in" these pipes. Fill one with tobacco and smoke it. That's the only way to truly understand why I sing their praises at every opportunity. Larry Roush has earned his place in the company of the world's great master pipesmiths.

Please see reviews of a Bent Carved Apple and a PokerHawk .

Gregory Pease
G. L. Pease, Intl
www.glpease.com

Larry Roush is considered by some of the bigwig American collectors to be the very best pipe maker at the moment. Supported early in his career by Mike Butera, Larry has inherited from his mentor the aspiration for technical perfection. Appearing in the 90s, then disappearing from circulation, Larry Roush has this past year made a remarkable comeback. Since his return, his pipes have progressed and reflect a real passion and an impressive command. His stems, which are entirely hand made, are finely executed and exceptionally comfortable. His tennons, which are made from Delrin, are perfectly adapted to the size of the shank of each pipe. The balance of his bents is excellent. Since Larry is also a goldsmith, the silver work that decorates his pipes is splendid, yet discrete. Overall, Roush’s work presents the quality that few pipe artisans can lay claim to : while staying within the bounds of contemporary classicism, his style can be recognized from across the room, offering a perfect balance between virility and elegance. They are striking and compact forms with natural and harmonious flowing lines and curves. His specialty is rusticated pipes in different colors that are in perfect harmony with the Cumberland, ebonite or Bakelite stems. Just recently Larry Roush has started to experiment with sand blasting and the first results look very promising. His pipes are a feast for the senses, for both the eyes and the touch. They are unpretentious pipes. Serious. Solid. Timeless.
(Excerpt from French pipe publication)

Erwin Van Hove
Belgium

I don't particularly care for rusticated pipes. Rustication is just an uninteresting way to camouflage uninteresting briar. So why, I ask myself, do you own so many rusticated Roush pipes? And why, if you don't like rustications, do you keep reaching for these same pipes over and over, barely giving them a civilized rest between smokes? What’s wrong with you, you supercilious hypocrite. And get a haircut; you’re embarrassing me. Leave me alone, I tell myself. There’s nothing wrong with me; it’s the pipes that don't fit the premise. Just look at them. Innovatively designed and flawlessly executed, Roush pipes are quite simply the epitome of the art form. The rustications are tactile adventures, as interesting to feel as they are to look at. Deep, non-repetitive carving covers the bowl and works its way up the shank. To run your fingers over a Roush rustication is to read briar poetry in Braille. The smooth pipes are equally impressive, though not as fun to smoke with your eyes closed. They are as visually stimulating as you could wish, with grain and design harmonizing to provide a strikingly handsome smoking instrument. Often, the addition of silver or gold bands enhances the effect. Larry is a professional jeweler, and it shows in his bands. Understated and always perfectly complementary to the lines and style of the pipe, Roush silverwork harmonizes the transition from shank to stem and adds a subtle embellishment of profound quality. But let’s face it: No matter how beautiful a pipe is, it’s useless if it doesn’t perform well. The main attraction of Larry Roush’s pipes is their characteristic smoking quality. Neutral, dry and effortless to smoke, the high caliber of the engineering and of the materials is evident with each bowl of tobacco. When I buy a Roush, I’m not purchasing only a beautiful pipe, I’m investing in a known probability that I’ll have a great smoker for a lifetime. When I spend $100 on one pipe or another, I figure there’s about a 30% chance that it will be a great smoker. Most pipe brands in the $200-$300 range offer about a 70% chance for great, consistent smoking characteristics. With Larry’s pipes, I know with 100% certainty that I’ll have a pipe that endures like a workhorse and delivers a great smoking experience every time I load it up. That’s well worth the price to me. If I were to be stranded on an island and could take only two pipes, at least one would be a Roush. But which one, I ask myself. How can you choose just one Roush? Which of these remarkable pipes would you take? Leave me alone, I tell myself. I need to go get a haircut.

Chuck Stanion
Editor, Pipes and Tobaccos Magazine

Although I have not met Larry personally, yet I believe he is a true friend and a master in pipe making. For the past three years, I have been honored to add some 15 Larry Roush pipes in my collection and believe me they are the best smoking pipes that I own. Each pipe has a character and unique in its own way. Larry's precision craftsmanship can only enhance his pipes in providing a fine smoke let alone the details of the gold and silver work which makes the pipe a piece of art. Whether it is smooth, rusticated or sandblasted, Roush's pipes are impeccable giving the smoker an enjoyment in filling the pipe with the perfect tobacco. The only draw back Larry has is not making enough pipes for the connoisseurs. Usually the pipes are sold before they are even produced. I hope one day I will get to meet Larry in person. With the electronic communication, I feel that we are close friends. If I fail to send a e-mail to Larry for some time, he is always the first to contact me.

Bassem Dajani
Amman Jordan