Sandblasted Billiard with Bakelite (669) Tobacco Pipe

The man behind Yeti pipes is Montana native Micah "Yeti" Cryder, an artisan with a distinctive style known for his organic shaping and use of Bakelite. A whole-hearted aspirant to the American shaping school, Yeti's pipes display an array of design cues and clear Danish influence. This straight Billiard, then, displays a vertical, muscular bowl with a Danish-inspired softly inflated rim and the sort of robustness around the heel I associate with American artisan pipes. The shank is arrow straight and leads my eye unerringly to a crisp saddle stem of stone-hued Bakelite, a visual feat that I am a willing accomplice to and happy to repeat.

I personally love Micah's sandblasts, a highly effective balance between defining the grain beautifully and keeping the pipe comfortable in hand, and this one fits that reputation perfectly. A beautiful cross-grain presentation, it boasts blasted birdseye on both flanks and rippling stacks of grain crossing both the near and far sides of the bowl. An ink-black stain makes it really pop, and contrasts well with the lighter hues of the stem. A truly fine smoker from a talented American artisan, and a good example of why his pipes are in demand worldwide.