Sandblasted Tomato with Black Palm Tobacco Pipe

Formerly known as the American Pipe Making Exposition, our annual Global Pipe Making Exposition features contributions from some of the world's foremost artisans, all united around a central theme. One of the most exciting events of the year for carvers, smokers, and enthusiasts of briar alike, the Global Exposition acts not only as a showcase for the immense talent of these artisans but as a focus for the boundless creativity that these masters of the art possess. For 2026, the theme of our Expo is "The Art of the Sandblast," celebrating the artistry and craftsmanship behind one of the most meticulous finishing techniques in pipe making. Through the sandblast, these artisans transform the natural grain of briar into textured works of art, highlighting the unique character of each block and demonstrating the artistry of the technique.

Micah Redmond's interest in art led him naturally to the world of smoking pipes, and guidance from Premal Chheda led him to pursue it more seriously. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, he relocated to Nashville in 2015 to join the team at BriarWorks. Micah's contribution to this year's Expo is a Tomato with a rather fascinating twist, coming in the form of a black palm shank accent — long enough that it essentially serves as the shank itself — which Micah also sandblasted for a deeply craggy feel.

The bowl of Micah's Tomato is especially squat at just under one inch deep and not as deeply sandblasted as the black palm, but its touch is just as intriguing. Paired with a light, reddish stain, the sandblast still allows the smoker to behold plenty of rich, tight flame grain as it stretches up the heavily rounded walls and rings the stub of briar shank at the aft of the bowl. The horizontal orientation of the sandblast on the black palm and its asymmetrical nature ensures a unique touch every time this pipe is picked up, and its color is no slouch either, offering a great contrast with the light mahogany hue of the bowl. The vulcanite stem tapers back from a single expansion ring, finishing this piece with a touch of poise. Micah's use of a material you don't see every day is a standout feature of this piece, but his excellent sandblasting is what makes it truly great: a fine specimen of the art of the sandblast.