Sandblasted Reverse Calabash Deco Poker Tobacco Pipe

Werner Mummert's style of architecturally and art-inspired pipes has resulted in a portfolio entirely distinct from other artisans worldwide. He's well known for his unique compositions and for incorporating non-standard materials into his pipes, and his interpretations of the Poker are especially noteworthy for including glass shanks, as seen in this example. The glass here serves a practical purpose, as it provides this pipe with an expansive condensation chamber, creating a uniquely styled reverse Calabash piece whose central focal point offers a wealth of stylistic and color contrast against the rest of the piece. The glass shank attaches via twin outcroppings of briar, one acting as the true shank and the other being paired to the base of the stem, that are inset with channels for rubber gaskets, snugly affixing the glass to the briar with plenty of room inside to cool smoke. What's unique about the stem, aside from its surroundings, is its particular build, as the entirety of the tenon is subsumed by the briar fitment, making it non-removable but enhancing its stability as part of the reverse Calabash system significantly. The bowl stands on a flat heel, one that the transition is raised from only slightly, and it grows thick, cylindrical walls that rise to a flat rim and aptly insulate the appreciable chamber held within. Not only does this pipe feature unique construction and engineering, but it's dressed uniquely too, featuring Mummert's signature Deco finish: a crisp sandblast with a varied and expressive palette of swirling, splotched, and streaky colors.