Werner Mummert: Sandblasted Billiard Tobacco Pipe

I have become accustomed to being delighted by Werner Mummert's pipes, not that they are becoming mundane for me, rather that I always know I am going to smile when I see one. This Billiard iteration from the German carver does not disappoint, presenting a low-slung bowl paired to an arrow-straight shank and charmingly abbreviated saddle stem. There is no denying that it is precisely executed and rendered, with a light weight that makes it a joy to hold and admire.

One of the the many things that makes me smile here, is one of Werner's iconic, craggy sandblasts, his special technique amplifying tight stacks of ring grain that climb the bowl and the shank's flanks. A rich auburn contrast stain accentuates the flame grain inherent in the briar orientation, making both the horizontal and vertical grain resplendent in concert. Mummert's inventive mindset is also represented in the precisely hand-cut saddle stem, as he has cut a brindled rod cross-wise to show the vulcanite's detailed patterns in an unexpected and mesmerizing way.