Sandblasted Acorn with Amboyna Burl Tobacco Pipe

Like many American carvers, Micah Redmond favors compact shapes that are equal parts muscular and curvaceous — and this Acorn design is no exception. A chubby Nosewarmer measuring just over four and a half inches long, it leads with a broad, full-bodied bowl whose frame flares from a gently lifted heel to a wide, flat rim, lending the walls a suppleness that conforms naturally to the hand. A wide transition follows the bowl into a softly upturned shank and a demurely curved saddle stem, the two joined at a junction accented with an Amboyna burl band. The hardwood ring complements the warm, ruddy stain dressing the stummel, while a crisp sandblast defines the grain, unveiling growth rings across the bowl's flanks.