Sandblasted Brandy Tobacco Pipe

Enigmatic and entirely original, the work of Werner Mummert is truly singular, the German artisan's four decades of experience as an engineering technician contributing to a style that's painstakingly precise and features expert drilling. Mummert's start in the pipe-carving craft was fostered by his longing for more pipes and his relative lack of funds, buying a carving kit which he shaped with files and a Dremel, his pipe-smoking friends then contacting him to ask for their own thanks to his good work. Much of Mummert's inspiration lies outside of the pipe world, instead centering around modern art, Werner attending art or photo exhibitions as often as he can to find new sources of influence.

This Brandy is an iteration of the shape that we've seen a few times from Mummert in the past, and it's one of the most remarkably expressive shapes that Mummert carves. Displaying a striking degree of perspective fluidity, the shape here is dominated by its bowl and shank, both rising high and taking up nearly equal portions of the visual weight in silhouette. The shank itself pushes out from a wide, interestingly shaped transition and flares out to create a wave-like shape thanks to the top portion of the briar rising in a smooth arc toward the stem. Said stem is thick and showcases its own expressive shaping, its broad base rapidly tapering toward a sleek saddle that's firmed up on the flanks thanks to a pair of ridges that manifest at the flanks of the saddle. The shaping of the shank and stem is defined by a series of ridges and panels, creating an outline that's flat on the top and sides, though which rounds out at the lower flanks and curves easily into the underside. What's more, this shank and stem feature a compressed shaping at the flanks, creating a variable look based on perspective: the smoker's perspective offering a more pinched, slender look. Up front, the bowl stands atop a rounded heel and grows supple, rounded walls that arc easily toward an inward-sloping rim, all while canting forward with a jocular and endlessly charming dynamism. A dark, inky sandblast dresses the stummel with a wealth of texture, the ring grain through the bowl impeccably defined with strong, angular peaks and valleys, all while being starkly contrasted by a broad, multicolored accent at the stem base.