Scottie Piersel: Gourd Calabash with Briar (with Case) Tobacco Pipe

Smokingpipes has celebrated the skill and creativity of American pipe makers since 2015 with a yearly American Pipe-Making Exposition. For 2022, the theme focuses on Calabash engineering, as seen in this entry by Scottie Piersel.

The Kansas carver's interest in the craft was piqued when she gifted her husband a pipe-making kit. Today, her work is sought the world over by smokers and collectors alike, thanks to her acclaimed shaping skills; colorful, hand-cut stem work; and dedication to high-quality functionalism.

Scottie sourced this gourd Calabash from South Africa, historical origins of many gourd Calabashes of old. It's easier for pipe makers to produce Calabash renditions from wood due to gourd needing to be specially grown in order to produce a desirable shape. This rather large rendition features the tall, sinuously curling design beloved by many and is adorned with a removable chamber cap of mahogany-hued, smooth briar that boasts patches of natural, craggy plateau whose texture continue into a portion of gourd for aesthetic harmony. For further flourish, the artisan has fashioned this piece with a blue-and-green brindled vulcanite inlay in the Calabash cooling chamber, the colorful tones mirrored in the downturned stem. An accent at the shank end is also made from briar, the stepped, smooth adornment matching the warm hue of the briar cap.

"The Great Calabash" as Scottie has deemed this piece comes with its own deeply padded case, which resembles an old, leather-bound book.