Moonlight Termite Surfing Dublin Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

While some pipe-makers take inspiration from the natural world, or from the technologies of present and past, few of them in the contemporary seek to represent these forms in their work. Czech artisan Ondrej Bárta of Moonlight pipes does just that, in a way that recalls the intricate, figural carvings of briar pipes from the turn of the 20th century. But Ondrej also departs from the figural approach of early briar pipes by combining it with high-grade materials and a careful attention to grain patterns that is far more modern.

Similarly to certain pipes, in architecture, rustication techniques have a historical precedent in making a building look worn and storied. And, both in pipes and in architecture, rustication is typically a mimicry of a “weathered” look, e.g., through erosion caused by the elements. I would call this Moonlight pipe partially rusticated, but the idea behind this rustication is a little different. Instead of wind and rain, the degradation being emulated here is that of burrowing critters. Curiously, this finish has been paired with a very modern shape, that of the wide shank, or “surfing” Dublin, presumably to give Ondrej a little more briar to rusticate while also providing a functioning pipe. It’s a good piece of briar, too, with swirling flame grain around its bowl, and a natural plateau rim.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.79 / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.62″ / 41.14mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 62g