Eclesias Sandblasted Eskimo Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

The Eskimo, sometimes referred to as the Inuit or the Surfing Bulldog, is a shape whose history is tightly bound up with Scandinavian pipe making. It could be argued that its precursors were the “Ukulele” designs of Swedish freehand pioneer Sixten Ivarsson, which gave way to the Eskimo/Inuit designs of the Danish master Tom Eltang. On the other hand, very similar designs to those of Tom Eltang can be found in the work of the American Ed Burak, made during a time when Eltang was just beginning his solo career proper. Priority disputes aside, if there is one country that has come to be associated with Eskimo shapes more than any other in recent years, it would not be Demark or America, but the Czech Republic. Pipe makers like Biftek, Martin Cermak, and, of course, Pavel “Eclesias” Holub, have made it impossible to consider the shape without recognizing its firm place within the Czech artisan scene.

It is little wonder that this is the case, however, when one looks at the pipes in question. Far from being derivative of Burak or Eltang, pipes like this one, from Eclesias, continue to be inventive in form and—perhaps most of all—finishing. This extra wide shank rendition features a crisp and ever so slightly contrast stained sandblast, paired with a psychedelic, swirling ebonite stem. Regarding the latter, it has been masterfully cut, ensuring that the spiral of its layered hues is positioned dead center in the mouthpiece’s trapezoidal figure.

 

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.03″ / 26.16mm

Weight: 3.0oz / 86g