Sandblasted 'Walking Stick' Poker (with Case) Tobacco Pipe

One of East Asia's foremost pipe carvers, Jerry Zenn is a Taiwanese artisan who spent 25 years of his professional life as an automotive mechanic. The line drawn between the two may not be clear at first, though his experience with meeting exacting tolerances and ensuring proper fitment of parts speaks otherwise, as both are extremely important when crafting high-quality pipes. This extremely unique Poker speaks to that, thanks to its dual-purpose design and inherently functional construction.

Presented in a padded, impact-resistant metal case, this piece stands out immediately as one of Zenn's most unique pipes. This is due, in large part, to the pair of hearty, threaded extensions included with the piece, meant to screw together into a fashionable cane or walking stick. The stummel caps the completed assemblage of tubes, pressing into a pale pseudo-tenon sticking up from a wide, knurled, silver-toned metal accent that reinforces the structure of the joinery. The main body of this extension is metal as well, a smooth, jet-black tube that descends to meet a similarly knurled and shiny accent, though one that additionally serves as the male end of the threads that screw into the second part of the extension. This second half starts with another textured metal band, with the accepting female end of the threads, and the black tube that starts from this point is afforded a streamlined taper to its end, where a non-textured silvery band and a protective rubber foot complete the 'walking stick' structure of this piece.

The actual, smokable portion of this pipe comprises a semi-cylindrical bowl canted forward at a striking angle, its walls rising from a flattened heel that admirably supports the entire pipe when assembled for smoking. The transition here is certainly different compared to most other Pokers, though Zenn is no stranger to this style, the shank here crafted from a large globe of black vulcanite. A silvery ring is inlaid into the surface of this globe, bolstering the fitment of a pale bone-toned saddle stem, complete with an expansion ring at its base that keeps all of the visual weight focused on the forward two-thirds of the composition: the sharp flare pressed tight to the black vulcanite. Though this pipe-cane is meant to be wielded while the stummel caps the top tube, its cane mount is not drilled through, making this pipe only smokeable when the stem is directly connected to the stummel. Despite this, the stem can be kept attached to the threaded end of the tube when screwing both ends together, ensuring you can turn your cane into a pipe whenever necessary, or vice-versa. Dressing the briar is a crisp, inky sandblast that keeps the look of the composition stately and refined, the black cane body and silvery attachment points granting this work a look worthy of any formal dress event.