Ichi Kitahara 2012 Smooth Tomato w/ Bamboo Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Ichi Kitahara is a Japanese pipe-maker, but he’s also something of a renaissance man. He is classically trained in fine art; he has spent time as a high-end jeweler and silversmith; he has also worked as an Itame, the Japanese name for a particularly skilled sushi chef; and last, but not least, he is an artisan maker of high-grade pipes. This he originally learned as an apprentice of Japanese master Hiroyuki Tokutomi, before evolving into a master in his own right, with his own, distinct style.

The “tomato” is an old shape in briar pipe design—one of the oldest, in fact—but it is also one which would become an object of fascination for more contemporary artisans influenced by post-war Danish pipes. From Gian Maria Gamboni and Claudio Cavicchi in Italy, to Adam Davidson and J. Alan in the United States, to Smio Satou and, of course, Ichi Kitahara in Japan. These designs tend to be wider and more compressed than the average turn of the century French tomato shape, leading to them sometimes being categorized as a squat tomato, or even a saucer shape, with more modern acountrements being added to further distinguish such designs. While I’m no horticulturalist, I think this Kitahara tomato from 2012 has its shank extended by black bamboo, which is nicely emphasized by the ivory-hued accents at either of its ends. While the tomato has undoubtedly undergone a number of transformations since its early iterations, one subtle aspect tends to remain, as is the case here: its exceedingly lightweight proportions.

This pipe is unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. The coating has flaked a little over time.

 

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.75 / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 0.97″ / 24.63mm

Weight: 1.0oz / 30g