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. At less than four and a half inches long, this pipe is a true nosewarmer, and its impressively compact proportions are only amplified by its equally impressive squatness. Coming in at just over an inch tall overall, this pipe can be slipped into a pocket easily, its petite stature lending it an extremely light weight that's well-suited to clenching. The Tomato's most instantly recognizable aspect is its bowl, the shape presenting a low-slung, broad imagining which here pulls that style to its logical conclusion. The walls all the way around the bowl are wonderfully supple, with plenty of rounding from the heel to the inward-sloping rim and a comfortable feel in hand despite its limited footprint. A wide transition then gives way to a softly upturned stretch of shank that's then married to a demurely curved stretch of black vulcanite saddle stem, offering a comfortable smoking posture and lending this piece a bit of dynamism through its central line. Dressed in a warm, walnut-hued stain, this pipe showcases a wealth of handsome grain, with flame grain wrapping through the shank and around the bowl and the underside being covered in dense birdseye.