Yeti: Sandblasted Cherrywood with Mammoth (813) Tobacco Pipe

Micah Cryder, the man behind Yeti pipes, was first introduced to pipes when he started smoking one as a senior in high school. His passion for pipe making quickly followed and grew to such a degree that he eventually quit his barista job and left university to pursue the craft full time. Cryder has since established himself as one of America's most highly regarded carvers, fashioning pipes that blend organic shaping cues, handsome finishes, and colorful stems.

This Cherrywood is a striking example of Cryder's style, presenting the classic shape in a modern manner. The bowl here flares from its flat, narrow heel to its broad, plateau-covered rim. The heel enables the composition to sit stably without the aid of a stand, and from this resting position, the bowl expands upward and outward. A high-kicking shank-and-stem arrangement takes up the rear and encourages a comfortable smoking posture, its vertical stance lending further dynamism to the pipe's silhouette. A crisp, inky sandblast dresses the stummel and coaxes out rippling waves of grain across the bowl's flanks, while an accent of mammoth adds rich contrast to the pipe's understated palette. The stem here is a unique one, not only showcasing deep, dark cobalt hues, but it's crafted from modern, hand-poured resin that's in many ways similar to Bakelite: especially with regard to the lively colors it can take on.