Yeti: Sandblasted Tomato with Bakelite and Brass (616) Tobacco Pipe

This Tomato from Micah "Yeti" Cryder was crafted near the end of 2020 as part of a special Christmas series in which the American artisan crafted 12 pipes in the 12 days leading up to Christmas. While the holiday season often sees notable historic pipe manufacturers releasing festively-themed lines, it's quite uncommon to see artisan carvers release an annual series of Christmas pipes. The amount of time and effort put into the carving of each artisan pipe and hand-cut mouthpiece makes it difficult for pipe makers create a themed release each year. That said, Micah truly outdid himself with his 12 Days of Christmas series, crafting distinctive shapes in a variety of finishes. Each piece is united by antique Bakelite stems of varying colors and accent rings of either brass or bronze.

Seen here is the second pipe fashioned for Yeti's 12 Days of Christmas line, and it perfectly exemplifies Cryder's distinctive pipe-making style. Micah's portfolio of is full of plump and stout shapes that are also conveniently sized, characteristics that are all present in this composition. The bowl is quite robust and broad, dressed in a sandblasted finish that highlights the consistent growth rings that wraps around the flanks. Natural plateau is oriented along the rim, another signature aspect within Micah's work, which here serves to further emphasize the inherent organismic of the Tomato shape.

Subtle textural contrast is offered in the form of a neatly chamfered band of smooth briar along the innermost portion of the rim, dressed in a walnut hue that pairs handsomely with the deep, earthy brown contrast stain that covers the sandblasted stummel. Such a finish catches the light beautifully and is complemented by the brass accent ring that graces the shank end. Micah is also renowned for his antique Bakelite stems and this piece features a warn, ruby-hued mouthpiece that further accentuates the merry disposition of this piece. Cryder mentioned that he's running extremely low on this particular color of Bakelite and there's no telling if he'll be able to acquire more in the future, so if this color palette speaks to you there's no time to hesitate.