Mike Sebastian Bay: Rusticated Poker Tobacco Pipe

Mike Sebastian Bay's journey into the world of pipe making began by chance when, in an effort to find someone who could restore his father's pipes, he came across legendary artisan Tom Eltang. The pair began to talk and, as they did, they bonded, and Eltang took Bay in as an apprentice. There are precious few in the pipe making world who can lay claim to a start as fortunate as this, and Bay is one of them, with Tom teaching him fundamentals and techniques of artisan pipe making. This act of providence gave Bay an incredible amount of practiced skill, and this Poker is a good example of his shaping style, being a piece that is quintessentially Danish, refined, and deceptively straightforward.

Much like the Pokers crafted by his mentor, Bay's renditions of the classic shape take on a strikingly practical air, with little in the way of ostentation or ornamentation and a keen focus on the smoking qualities of the pipe itself. Unlike Eltang's iterations, Bay's Pokers showcase a distinctive bend at the lower portion of the bowl, creating a silhouette that's both playful and dynamic. The heel is flat here, allowing for easy sitting on any flat surface, while a tall, cylindrical stretch of briar rises above and leans forward to more than overlook the heel and place smoke far from the eyes. Atop the walls of the bowl, a softly domed rim overlooks the rest of the pipe and curves into the chamber, its leaning posture widening the transition significantly and placing much of the visual weight at the fore. A lengthy shank ebbs out of this transition and meets a trim saddle stem whose base is marked by a firm expansion ring, the combination lifting thanks to the transition's proximity to the bowl's bend. Dressing this pipe is Bay's take on Eltang's signature rustication, one which very few others have permission to replicate, keeping the stummel's texture craggy thanks to its patterned surface carving, a dark stain completing the pipe.