Micah Redmond: Smooth Tomato Tobacco Pipe

Tennessee-based artisan Micah Redmond was introduced to the realm of pipes by a friend and band mate, inadvertently leading him down a rabbit hole which then sparked a passion, with Redmond beginning his path as a carver in 2009. His discovery of Danish-inspired pipe making, such as those pieces made by Todd Johnson, Jody Davis, Gotoh, and Tokutomi, opened his eyes to seeing pipes as art, and influenced his shaping style from then on. His early work for Smokers' Haven solidified his foundational knowledge and thereby accelerated his progress quite a bit, so much so that, in 2015, Redmond joined the team at BriarWorks, all while still crafting his own handmade pipes. This Tomato is an excellent example of Micah's shaping style, and something of a signature shape for him, one that's iterated upon gradually with slight tweaks to the profile each time it's crafted.

This iteration in particular is quite special, and this is rather easily seen just by looking at it. The most obvious element to me, outside of the grain, is the shaping itself. The shank and stem base here are a flattened, compressed ovoid that curls upward and lends the piece a high-reaching, acrobatic stance which is both elegant in looks, and comfortable in smoking posture. Such a steep bend in a pipe this compact is extremely impressive by itself, though when paired with the profile of the bowl it becomes all the more striking. By saying this I mean to draw attention to the overt asymmetry of the bowl itself, its rounded form reminiscent of a river stone thanks to its offset waistline and extended left flank. The right flank, in comparison, doesn't bulge out as far and through this it lends that side an interesting kind of upward-urging momentum that favors that side, something very seldom seen in the pipe world. Despite all of this asymmetry, it still boasts a comfortable feel in hand, fitting the contours of the fingers easily and allowing one to easily appreciate all of its supple curves when cradled. Dressed in a light, honey-mahogany stain, this piece displays some truly incredible grain, with dense streaks of flame grain wrapping around the entire stummel from one side of the shank to the other, while the vast expanses of the top and underside reveal seas of brilliant birdseye.