Pipe Tristan Rusticated Squat Tomato Handmade Briar Pipe, New [SOLD OUT]

Description

Pipe Tristan is the name used by French artisan Tristan Lefebvre. Lefebvre is part of a new wave of up-and-coming hand made pipe carvers from the birthplace of briar, following in the footsteps of figures such as Alain Albuisson, Paul Lanier, and Pierre Morel Sr and Jr. Lefebvre credits a wide range of influences upon his pipe-making, such as modern greats from Italy and Denmark, such as Carlo Scotti’s Castello and Tom Eltang, as well as more unique sources of inspiration, such as the centuries-old hunting pipes native to Germany’s southern Bavarian region. As such, Tristan is equally at home crafting his own spin on the ’55,’ the hawbill, or the Danish Dublin as he is reviving the Ulmer Kloben – when he isn’t inventing his own shapes, that is.

The squat tomato is a shape that, in theory, should not work, but in practice, it absolutely does. One might locate its precedent in the Ukulele shapes of Sixten Ivarsson, who, according to one Pipedia editor, pioneered the exploration of horizontal space in pipe design. Thanks to the further explorations of other danes, such as Tom Eltang, Japanese masters such as Tokutomi, and American artisans such as Nate King and Scott Klein, it has become something of a rite of passage for carvers to see for themselves what this low-slung fruit can do. Here, Tristan has hoped to blend the shape with the traditional prince, dressing it in his signature Granite rustication and a desert sand stain. It’s a beautiful pipe, but it’s also a very sturdy one – perfect for virginia blends, ribbon cuts, aromatics, or other blends that tend to burn a little hotter than others.

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.73 / 18.54mm

Bowl Depth: 1.39″ / 35.30mm

Weight: 1.8oz / 52g