Walt Cannoy Cardinal House Munn Partially Rusticated “Razor Shank” Rhodesian Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

Walt Cannoy first emerged as a major figure in the the North American pipe-making renaissance around the turn of the millennium. Originally an R&D mechanic, Cannoy carved and sold his first pipe in 1999, having been inspired by artisan pipe-makers as diverse as Preben Holm, Robert ‘Micoli’ Burns, and Joe Mariner. Cannoy would soon rise in the ranks of the North American artisan scene, becoming one of its premier high-grade carvers.

Named after various landmarks in Cannoy’s native Florida, “Cardinal House” began as a side-project of sorts, whereby Cannoy could offer relatively inexpensive pipes alongside his high-grade, high-demand Signature works. While the first Cardinal House pipes were akin to “seconds,” Cannoy soon became dissatisfied with this approach, leading him to rethink what it would mean to make high-quality, artisan pipes that were comparable in price to reputable factory makes. Instead of reducing costs by using cheaper materials, or utilizing pre-fabricated components (such as stummels and stems), Cannoy focused instead on streamlining his manufacturing process, leading to Cardinal House as it is known today. Handmade from the same briar blocks, ebonite rods, and various ornaments as the Walt Cannoy Signature series, Cardinal House’s enduring affordability represents simply the culmination of decades spent isolating and refining all of the essential techniques involved in one’s craft.

“Pencil shank” shapes feature quite prominently in Walt Cannoy’s output, which he achieves by way of stainless steel inner tubes that provide a much needed stability to such svelte designs. But there are other things that one can do with the help of a little stainless steel, as seen here. Instead of a pencil shank, this Cardinal House Munn Rhodesian features a “razor shank,” pushing the popular “wide shank,” or “surfing,” motif found in many artisan bulldog and Rhodesian renditions to its extreme. It’s quite ingenious, really, and not something I’ve seen before, though I look forward to seeing it again, especially as part of pipes as nice as this one.

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.72 / 18.28mm

Bowl Depth: 1.45″ / 36.83mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 46g