After nearly 40 years of pipe making, Peter Heeschen has the mechanics of pipe making nailed down solidly, and over the ten years that I've been following his work, his artistry has continued to evolve, while still evoking the same feelings it did when I acquired my first. There is no mistaking a Heeschen pipe. The lines are graceful and generally compact, with the exception of some of his fanciful, long bamboo shanked beauties. They are comfortable, designed not just to be looked at, but to be handled, to be filled with tobacco, to be smoked. Heeschen's pipes ask to be enjoyed in every way, not displayed behind glass. Their smoking characteristics are superb, and the comfort of his mouthpieces is well-known.

Peter still makes some of his now classic shapes - shapes that have stood strong against the trendy and are loved by many for their beauty, simplicity and comfort, but he continues to expand his repertoire into new and less conventional realms. Some things remain constant, however; his wood is always excellent, his construction is superb, and his pipes simply make you want to smoke them.

By G.L. Pease