Dirk Heinemann: Smooth Tuban with Mahogany Tobacco Pipe

Pipes with a tubular style are common enough within the artisanal pipe making community. Tom Eltang, for example, has won many fans over the years with his signature Tubos. Dirk Heinemann likewise has his own answer to the charming style, albeit one that came about through a very different process. While experimenting with the Rhodesian shape, Dirk began sketching out several shank designs, playing with the overall length, breadth, and degree of bend. Needing a break, he enjoyed a cup of a coffee, and when he came back, he took a closer look at his drawings.

There was one in particular that caught his eye; he saw that the Rhodesian's shank could become a shape in itself and decided to run with it. His first iterations were much shorter, yet they all have featured this beautiful, continuous arc in profile — simliar to the Danish style Horn, yet more minimalist and cylindrical in style. It's a simple, clean form, certainly, but Dirk's continued to evolve the shape over the years, experimenting with different stem designs and accents. This smooth-finished Tuban is a gorgeous example, featuring a compact and abbreviated length overall, a Stack's worth of chamber, as well as a warm and tasteful finish that complements the block's natural grain beautifully.

- Andrew Wike