Bonsai Pipes XL Sandblasted Bent Billiard w/Amberoid Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

A lot has been going on in the Central European artisan scene recently. Over the last decade, a great number of solo (and, on occasion, duo) pipe makers have emerged and shown that the region is still able to hold its own against the likes of Denmark and the United States. Germany in particular continues to produce world-class carvers, which is less surprising when you realize that Germany has one of the most active and dedicated pipe communities in the world. Tobias Höse, the man behind Bonsai Pipes, is one of those carvers. Inspired by the likes of Dirk Heinemann (with whom he has also collaborated) and Kelvin Pohler and Thorsten Klemme of CO-Pipes, Höse took up pipe making in 2016 and, in the years since, has become one of Germany’s most recognizable artisans. In fact, his pipes have become so popular that, in 2022, he was invited by HU Tobacco to help create a blend in celebration of his pipe making prowess: Nebari, named after the surface root structure of the bonsai tree. As for why Höse chose “Bonsai Pipes” as a moniker, this can be traced to his other passion in life, horticulture. Höse cultivates bonsai trees for much the same reason he smokes and makes pipes: because they are slow, careful, and contemplative endeavors, providing a much-needed respite from the breakneck pace of the modern world.

With its tall, egg-shaped bowl and long, swan neck shank and stem, one might consider this bent billiard from Tobias Höse’s Bonsai make to be a distinctive rendition of the classic Dunhill LC. But there is another, more recent precedent in the post-war neoclassical vein, one a little closer to Höse’s home. That would be the work of Ingo Garbe, German-born master Ingo Garbe and one of the country’s first freehand carvers. Like Garbe, Höse’s approach to the humble bent billiard uses subtle shaping cues to transform the Anglo-French mainstay into something all the more supple and organic. Where Höse breaks with both, however, is in his choice of a far more contemporary color palette and ornamentation, opting for a contrast sandblast finish, woodland camouflage ebonite stem, and amber-like accent.

 

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.79 / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.84″ / 46.73mm

Weight: 2.2oz / 64g