Werner Mummert: Sandblasted Reverse Calabash Poker Tobacco Pipe

The Poker is one of those shapes that scales nicely, its form very tolerant of slight tweaks to shape or proportion. This reverse Calabash from Werner Mummert makes fine use of that talent, pairing its towering, cylindrical bowl with a thicker style of high-set shank, which allows space for the reverse Calabash drilling within. The resulting shape is still easily identified as a Poker, and quite the nice one all around — it sits with ease on a flat surface, while the extra briar not only fills the hand perfectly, but gives more space on which to show off one of Mummert's brilliant sandblasts. He's done a particularly nice job on this one, too, with its ring grain splendidly coaxed for a deep texture.