Dirk Heinemann: Sandblasted Tomato with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Throughout his pipe portfolio, German artisan Dirk Heinemann has enjoyed playing with the proportions between bowl and shank. That aspect is most evident in his signature Dora design, which features a dramatically splayed shank that resembles a fishtail. This Tomato is a touch more reserved but still reveals that typical Heinemann touch: The bowl displays a squat, rounded demeanor that's low set in profile but broad and Saucer-like from above, while the shank flares broadly toward the stem to create a stark contrast against the bowl. In most pipes, the bowl receives the majority of the visual weight, but Heinemann challenges that standard in this composition, with the shank rivaling the bowl's visual dominance; however, the design's lines all lead toward the bowl to ensure it remains a significant and integral aspect of the overall piece.

Much of the shank's length comprises a unique stretch of bamboo, free of knuckles and distinctively patterned but with a smooth and polished texture. For contrast, the stummel wears a craggy sandblast, revealing the briar's natural growth rings and also combining well with the bowl's defined, forward-urging waistline. The hand-cut stem fits via a durable army mount, and the base's ring has been stylistically shaped and angled to match the end of the bamboo. Such an artful cue from Heinemann maintains the pipe's forward gesture and also merges the stem with the rest of the pipe for a seamless and cohesive composition.