Werner Mummert: Sandblasted Bent Apple with Amboyna Burl Tobacco Pipe

Werner Mummert is a German artisan that often pushes the boundaries of pipe making, producing some of the most unique and creative designs the medium has to offer. Though his work is often highly stylized, Mummert makes sure each of his pipes is precisely engineered, understanding that no amount of style or ingenuity can make up for a design that doesn't smoke properly. This bent Apple is a more conservative design than we're used to seeing from Mummert, but it's nevertheless fascinating in terms of its shaping, finish, and accent.

Rotund and muscular, the bowl here stands atop a lifted heel, perched at the fore of a curvaceous shank-and-stem arrangement. The heel thrusts the bowl into visual prominence and raises it to a higher plane than shank and stem. The transition boasts some defined cheeking that accentuates the bowl's rounded contours, while the shank and stem's sinuous bend promotes a comfortable smoking posture and adds a nice bit of gesture to the pipe's profile. An extra-craggy sandblast dresses the stummel and unveils rippling growth rings across the flanks of the bowl, providing plenty of visual and texture allure to briar. An accent of amboyna burl adorns the stem base, its ruby hues beautifully complementing the stummel's coloration.