Yeti: Sandblasted Bent Brandy with Bakelite and Mammoth (764) Tobacco Pipe

Typically, when first encountering a pipe, a singular aspect will immediately stand out, whether it be the shape, the grain, or the color palette. For me, when first analyzing this bent Brandy from Micah Cryder of Yeti Pipes, all three of those aforementioned characteristics delighted my senses simultaneously and to an equal degree. The shape is fluid, soft, and graceful. Elegant and dynamic, the profile lacks anything in the way of harshness; it's a shape relaxing to admire. Though rather compact in length at less than five inches long, there's an appreciable heartiness evidenced by its weight, the tightly-knit robustness keeping it around a Group 4. Said shape, then, wears a warm tanblasted finish, and the grain Cryder has excavated in the blasting cabinet is, in a word, exquisite. The bowl defines the term "ring grain," exuding consistency, evenness, cragginess, and conciseness, all at once.

The stem is fashioned from Bakelite, a material that's become something of a signature within Micah's portfolio, and this particular piece testifies to the exciting palettes Bakelite can offer. The dark, forest green of the medium introduces a wealth of contrast to the composition while keeping things somewhat reserved at first glance, appearing almost black before closer examination. This stem meets a junction marked by a rounded accent of mammoth, complementing the hues of the stummel's tanblast while its slightly more pale color lends further definition to the stem.