Puff Piece | Sherlock Holmes, Piping Hot

When Robert Downey Jr. hits the screen as Sherlock Holmes on Christmas Day, he is poised to do something that hasn’t been done since Hugh Hefner lounged on his rotating bed while puffing a Dunhill: Make pipes cool. Despite the fashion world’s current vogue for Holmes-inspired capes and canes — not to mention an endorsement by the character Paul Kinsey of “Mad Men” — the pipe-as-accessory has yet to catch fire in contemporary culture. As Bill Rella, a managing partner at the Lexington Avenue branch of Barclay Rex, put it to us: “We need a new Hefner.” Indubitably.

To channel Downey as Sherlock Holmes, seek out a Holmesian pipe — that is, an English style like the Billiard pictured here. Find one that suits you at one of New York’s pipe purveyors, below.

Barclay Rex — This New York legend, founded in 1910, is a good spot for the beginner, with corncob pipes starting at under $10. (75 Broad Street; 70 East 42nd Street; 570 Lexington Avenue; (212) 888-1015.)

De La Concha — The connoisseur’s choice and the best shop in town according to the New York Pipe Club. Knowledgeable staff; hundreds of pipes, tobaccos and accessories; and savvy smokers hanging out and comparing briars. (1390 Avenue of the Americas at 56th Street; (212) 757-3167.)

Nat Sherman — From the distinctive clock outside to the player piano serenading from the second floor, Nat Sherman is a Deco-era legend that makes up for in charm what it lacks in selection. There are only two pipe brands carried — Peterson and Savinelli — but many proprietary and decades-old tobacco recipes. (12 East 42nd Street at Fifth Avenue; (800) 692-4427.)

Dunhill — Though now a global luxury brand, Dunhill made its name as the Rolls-Royce of pipemakers. Now, without a tobacco humidor in New York, selection is limited to one glass case with pipes at $500 and up. (545 Madison Avenue at 55th Street; (212) 753-9292.)

Davidoff — Though house-label pipes are priced in line with a European luxury brand, Davidoff carries other brands as well as a selection of tobaccos and accessories. (535 Madison Avenue at 54th Street; (212) 751-9060.)

Resource : http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/puff-piece-sherlock-holmes-piping-hot/?_r=0