Smooth Dublin with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Bamboo, while being quite a distinct accent on a pipe, is not a particularly new phenomenon. For example, Dunhill, among other makers, utilized bamboo as a means of saving on briar during WWII, such pieces becoming affectionately referred to as "Whangee" pipes — a term used for walking canes that featured bamboo handles. That said, the material's usage has evolved over the decades, with many modern artisans utilizing bent bamboo sections or those of quite eccentric shaping. In this Dublin, though, Tom Eltang hearkens back to that original Whangee style à la Dunhill.

The stummel adheres closely classic English shaping standards, the bowl quite stoic, upright, and robust. A touch of softness is evident at the rim, and the transition is more genteel, hinting at Eltang's Danish-style leanings. Tom enjoys a rather minimalist aesthetic and one that incorporates the elegant simplicity of Danish Functionalism, and this piece fits in well to that style: The lines are clean and crisp, and while the bamboo is an accenting adornment, it's rather reserved in design on this piece, extending the shank in Lovat-like fashion. A trim saddle stem completes the composition, Eltang having fashioned the base to perfectly continue the evenly spaced rhythm of the bamboo's four knuckles.