Yeti: Partially Sandblasted Saxophone Churchwarden (693) Tobacco Pipe

Montana native and the man behind Yeti pipes, Micah Cryder became fascinated with pipe making after smoking one for the first time as a senior in high school. His passion for the craft was intense and all encompassing, and he eventually quit his barista job and left his university to pursue pipe making full time. Cryder is now one of America's premier artisans, and his work showcases a penchant for organic designs, rich finishes, and sweeping forms — all of which are present in this Saxophone shape. The Saxophone is a distinctive Freehand fashioned by Italian, American, and Danish artisans alike. While Italian makers tend to fashion the shape as close to the actual instrument's appearance as possible, Danish carvers tend to craft the shape in a softer, more refined way, paying more attention to the form's curvature, and Cryder's rendition hews closer to that latter tradition.

The tall bowl possesses a flared, softly inflated rim that presides over a gentle taper to the subtly angular heel. While the rim favors the fore, the heel drags considerably more to the aft, which forces the bowl forward in profile and exaggerates the sweeping momentum that can be traced from the fore of the rim to the shank face. The shank tapers from the transition, giving way to a long arc of Churchwarden stem. Churchwarden stems are something of a rarity for artisan pipe makers, mostly due to the time and effort required to hand-cut a mouthpiece of that length, but Cryder, being a purest of form, took the required time. The result is worth the work, as the long, willowy curvature of the vulcanite stem perfectly complements the flowing, ebbing lines of the Saxophone shape.

The stummel wears a warm tanblast that coaxes out some rippling grain across the flanks of the bowl and magnificent spots of calcified birdseye across the fore. The rim is left smooth and showcases the natural briar for a touch of visual and tactile contrast, while the jet-black mouthpiece complements the hues of the stummel in traditional fashion. Eye-catching and stylish, this piece will make for a truly breath-taking reading pipe.