Sandblasted Tomato Tobacco Pipe

I wouldn't call this style of Tomato a signature of Dirk Heinemann's just yet, though we have seen a similar rendition from him before, and this one certainly draws on the German artisan's conventional shaping style as a whole. The first thing that struck me about this piece and drew me even more to it is its compact size — at only four inches in length and weighing a mere 21 grams, it doesn't get much more petite than this diminutive briar. That said, it feels anything but delicate or fragile in hand, the bowl's bulging, forward-inclined waistline fitting naturally in hand while the lightweight form, of course, makes the pipe easily clenched hands free. Slightly pinched and flaring of shank, it meets the bowl in a low-set transition to create some subtle cheeking. Lastly, Dirk has dressed it in a warm, supple sandblast, accented only by a the lighter-stained, polished, chamfered rim up top. A veritable nosewarmer and pocket pipe, this is an effortless smoker that doesn't sacrifice in classy style, elegant form, and sublime artisan shaping.