Sandblasted Bent Brandy with Bakelite (518) Tobacco Pipe

While Micah "Yeti" Cryder's personal style employs multiple design cues — including compact proportions, lithe bends, and supple curves — if I had to choose one to be a "signature," it would be the Montana-based artisan's use of bakelite and non-traditional color palettes. This bent Brandy example embodies Micah's signature aesthetic in its diminutive, nosewarmer size, plump bowl, and, of course, use of bakelite — the antique material here displaying smoky gray tones, similar to horn and a palette that's new and distinct to Yeti. He's never used this color of bakelite before. While it doesn't present the vivid, colorful hue often characteristic of Cryder's work, the contrast against the black sandblast of the stummel is striking, offering modern appeal while also hearkening back to the look of horn-stemmed pipes of yesteryear. Shape-wise, the bowl tilts forward to balance out the bend of shank and stem, and the lightweight form offers easy clenching and convenient pocketability, while the sandblast has brought out crisp vertical grain intersected by rippling rings.