American Estates: Scott Klein Sandblasted Cutty with Bamboo (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Bamboo is an often used alternative medium, but that doesn't mean it's easy to work with. It's even harder to get just right; that is, unless you're Scott Klein. Not only has the American artisan seamlessly married it to the stummel and, then, to the stem (reinforced with a metal tenon), but he's taken the bamboo's natural rhythm into account when fashioning both the mouthpiece and stummel: The saddle portion of the stem as well as the protruding heel spur align beautifully with the spacing of the three knuckles, imbuing the overall profile with a consistent, forward urging momentum. Dressed in a dark stain and featuring concentric ripples of sandblasted ring grain, the stummel keeps the color palette reserved yet balanced, as the lighter-stained, polished rim contrasts against the finish while still matching the bamboo's natural hue.