Micah Redmond: Sandblasted Apple with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, but now based in Tennessee as part of the BriarWorks crew, Micah Redmond works alongside fellow carvers Pete Prevost, Sam Adebayo, and Bill Shalosky to produce BriarWorks pipes while also fashioning his own, artisan pieces. Micah's personal style often caters toward affably rounded and compact forms, most notably known for his signature squat and compact take on the Tomato.

For the 2019 American Pipesmaking Exposition, Redmond has entered a piece that fits in well to his conventional aesthetic but throws in an incredibly gnarled piece of bamboo. A plump, rather short Apple bowl sits at the end, while the shank is extended by an equally stout bamboo extension: Though quite compact, the bamboo still packs three knuckles into its abbreviated length and is studded in dozens of chaotic nodes, which Micah has reinforced with epoxy to seal the material as well as accentuate the wild aesthetic.

In profile, the combination is a stark juxtaposition — the classic Apple shape contrasted by the ultra-modern, non-traditional section of bamboo. Upon closer examination, the complexity of the bamboo is further realized. The knuckles, while wild in their many protruding nodes, are also quite squashed and irregular, being almost triangular in cross section. Micah has expertly incorporated the bamboo's inconsistencies into the piece, though, having shaped the stem base to fit flush with the face of the bamboo and extending the organic material's indents into the briar shank. A lightweight and easily pocketable Nosewarmer, this piece from Redmond boasts a deceptive complexity, prompting new observations and deeper appreciation the more it's handled.