Yeti: Smooth Eskimo (945) Tobacco Pipe

Micah Cryder of Yeti Pipes is an incredibly talented artisan, one of my favorites in fact, as he injects each of his pipes with a degree of whimsy and jocularity that reflects his own palpable passion for the craft, all while imbuing them with reverence toward his inspirations. The Eskimo is a rare shape, though it's one of Yeti's signatures, and his many variations on the profile each showcase a different aspect of the silhouette that he's emphasized in a new and interesting way. This particular take on the shape is a truly stunning example, both in its carving and its finish, and it showcases a fluid, low-slung design with a remarkably low center of gravity. The transition is wide, with plenty of room to drape a digit, and it gives way to an incredibly compressed, ovoid shank that tapers smoothly as it reaches toward a similarly tapering stem of black vulcanite. At the top of this shank, the edges of the briar are defined by firm ridges that start just forward of the transition and continue through the stem, framing a panel on either side of the shank.

These panels are phenomenal examples of the minute detail work for which Cryder is renowned, with the lowermost ridge situated in the perfect position to create a sleek, subtle, and softly rounded taper from the top of the shank to the bottom. The fusion of firmness and fluidity here is nothing short of extraordinary, and this is especially true given the understated undercurve of this pipe in profile. Reminiscent of the Horn, the bowl of this pipe displays an easy flare out to the rim, looking consistent alongside the shank and stem save for the aft side wall. Outside of this wall's stolid, muscular rise out of the transition, the rest of the bowl maintains the contours introduced by the underside and aft end: the rim itself terminating in a broad, domed structure that's covered in plateau across the fore. Dressed in a rich, smooth finish, this pipe is dressed in one of Yeti's signature and seldom-seen "ultra-contrast" finish, covering the stummel in an expressive contrast stain and a high-gloss top coat. The resulting display of grain is simply spectacular, with dense streaks of flame flowing through the flanks of the shank and rounding the squat walls of the bowl while an ocean of birdseye covers the underside. Additionally, areas of flame grain are striated by undulating ripples of growth rings, and the unique properties of briar's absorbency see the areas of burl nearest to the plateau streak at the rim become darker as more of the stain is wicked up toward it.