Fikri Baki Smooth Pickaxe with Cumberland (Estate)

Unlike their counterparts in the world of briar, the artisans who carve meerschaum pipes are seldom known by name. Only a very small percentage of such carvers rise to a level of mastery and recognition that leads to their pipes being explicitly attributed to them. At any given outlet, you might find a pipe signed or tied to someone like Bekler, Tekin, Kenan, or Sabri, but most will simply carry the company brand, in a manner closer to factory pipe manufacture and sales.

Fikri Baki Cetekinkaya, known simply as Fikri Baki, or F. Baki, first began carving meerschaum pipes in 1969 and is today known as one of the all-time greats in his field. This is not just for his ability to carve meerschaum, but also his pioneering skills in applying techniques and materials used in briar pipes to his meerschaums. This included not just silverware, but also bamboo and ebonite, which he hand-cut for his pipes. Baki also spent time studying pipe making with the legendary German artisan Rainer Barbi (the latter being best known for his briars, but who also dabbled in meerschaum). In recent times, in part due to exclusivity arrangements, Baki pipes have become increasingly difficult to acquire in the West, much to the chagrin of his many admirers.

This particular Baki takes on a form not so typical for meerschaum pipes, but one that has a very special place in the world of post-war briars: the pickaxe. Originally an Anglo-French staple, it is one of those shapes that the Danes and other European masters took to almost instantly during the inception of high-end artisan pipes, and here Baki seems to be following suit. Also more common to briars than meerschaum pipes is the hand-cut cumberland mouthpiece this pickaxe is fitted with, something Baki is almost as skilled with as he is meerschaum itself.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening and a couple of slight scratches on the bowl. This pipe comes with its original fitted case.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.87 / 22.09mm

Bowl Depth: 1.89″ / 48.00mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 44g