SU Pipes Smooth Apple w/ Antique Bakelite Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

You may have wondered, as I often do, what would happen if professional meerschaum carver was to turn their attention to briar wood, and to make pipes out of that instead. While many early briar pipe manufacturers, such as Frederick Charatan, made just such a transition back in the late 19th century, both briar and meerschaum pipe manufacture have changed significantly in the century since, making for an interesting opportunity. Enter Sebahattin Urgan of SU Pipes, former apprentice to Eskişehir’s master of meerschaum Emre Bay and now an expert carver in his own right. Urgan’s talents have in recent years extended to handcrafting briar pipes, having been greatly inspired by the legends of Scandinavian and post-Scandinavian design.

Aside from the more technical aspects of pipe construction, one thing that briar and meerschaum carvers have in common is having to “read” the material they’re working with. Whether it’s wood or stone, a carver must pay attention to the natural patterning of the material they’re working with, making sure to avoid pits and impurities and to “find” the most aesthetically pleasing design within. In other words, a mastery of one is very likely to be an advantage in taking on the other. This Danish apple from meerschaum master Sebahattin Urgan shows that thesis in action, showcasing a bowl alive with 360 degrees of flame grain. As an added touch, this piece has an antique Bakelite accent inlaid in its hand-cut ebonite stem. It also includes well a custom-fitted clam-shell case, which Urgan reserves for his most favorite pipes.

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.74 / 18.79mm

Bowl Depth: 1.45″ / 36.83mm

Weight: 1.4oz / 42g