Smooth Poker with Leather Wrapped Shank and Bakelite (Hoplite) Tobacco Pipe

Though leather-wrapped pipes are not a new concept (nor is anything else, according to Todd Johnson), the idea of making use of upholstery as an accent is still sort of a novel idea. And Todd likes to push boundaries, often pushing them just to the point of needing to reign things in, as it allows him to know just where that line might be. He's got a background in leatherwork too, specifically as it relates to automotive interior, making him well-suited to the time and labor-intensive task to achieve something like this, not to mention imbuing it with a tactile interest and practical dynamic. It's also no wonder that the forward-facing geometry of this Poker shape has something of a streamlined, industrial sense to it. And if that weren't enough, the use of color also seems to evoke the impression of older automobile aesthetics, with a cool blue-grey for the leather, a rich walnut contrast, and a stem of creamy, pearlescent bakelite. A seriously cool piece.