Nate King Natural Sandblasted “‘Doc’ Holliday” Poker (New)

It is very likely that Indiana’s Nate King had something of a “head start” when he first took up pipe making, by virtue of his previous careers. First employed as a transmission specialist in an IndyCar pit crew, before moving on to work as an aeronautical engineer, King came to pipes already having a wealth of experience working with industrial machinery and an acute understanding of fluid dynamics. On the side, King enjoyed restoring estate pipes and, in the 2000s, he began making pipes of his own, after being taken under the wing (if you’ll excuse the pun) of fellow Indiana artisan Wayne Teipen. In the years since, King has emerged as one of North America’s premier artisans and has received numerous awards for his work, including a Master of Pipes from the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club and a fellowship at France’s Confrérie des Maîtres-Pipiers de Saint-Claude. He is also a frequent collaborator with G.L. Pease, with whom he designs yearly, limited runs of novel pipe shapes.

Some time ago, Nate King was asked if he would be interested in making a series of pipes inspired by classic Spaghetti Westerns, such as those of Sergio Leone. One such pipe became the “Eastwood,” in reference to Clint Eastwood and his role in Leone’s Dollars trilogy. Another was inspired by a later—though no less classic—entry in the Western genre. 1993’s Tombstone retold the story of Wyatt Earp and John Henry “Doc” Holliday, and its portrayal of the latter would ultimately inspire another shape in King’s signature series, seen here. The “‘Doc’ Holliday” is a sturdy sitting poker rendition, with a form evoking the personal tankard carried by Tombstone‘s silver-tongued, gunslinging libertine. This one is a cross-cut rendition, with a natural sandblast finish distinguished by its rich birds-eye relief, fitted with a hand-cut, brindled black and tan ebonite mouthpiece.

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.74 / 18.79mm

Bowl Depth: 1.64″ / 41.65mm

Weight: 1.3oz / 37g