Werner Mummert: Sandblasted Full House Poker Tobacco Pipe

One of the most innovative pipe makers working today, Werner Mummert fashions traditional shapes with some consistency, but he's perhaps better known for his experimental, boundary-pushing designs. Even when considering his more avant-garde work, its important to point out that his style isn't simply experimentation for experimentation's sake. No, underneath his unique style is a bedrock of high-quality engineering and an understanding of what makes a pipe functional as well as handsome.

Though rather traditional in terms of its construction, this Poker nevertheless showcases Mummert's eclectic style and exacting finishing work. Shape-wise, this piece is a tried and true rendition of the classic form, offering a tall, cylindrical bowl that's positioned at the fore of a sleek, arrow-straight shank-and-stem arrangement. The bowl's flat heel enables the entire composition to sit without the aid of a stand, making this piece an attractive and practical desk pipe. What sets this piece apart, however, from say, an English-style Poker, is it's dress, which comes in the form of a crisp sandblast interspersed with etchings of playing card suits. A diamond, spade, heart, and club adorn the bowl's frame, with each symbol stained to mirror how it would look on a playing card. The subtle addition of the playing card symbols showcases Mummert's playful sensibility — with the shape's dress and title, "Full House Poker", being an obvious pun.