Mutcat Calabash Pipe, New

Description

Mutcat pipes are made by Mutcat Cat, an Indonesian artisan residing in its northeastern Java province. A pipe-maker for many years, and a pipe-smoker for even longer, Mutcat’s pipes are frequently innovative in their use of alternative, home-grown materials and elaborate forms and finishes. This is not only because of a desire to offer pipe-smokers something new and unique, but because of Mutcat’s own experiences as one. Living in a tropical climate, Mutcat seeks to find novel approaches to pipe construction that can provide a cool, dry smoke whatever the weather.

The calabash is one of the oldest designs within the history of tobacco pipes, but despite this age, it is one that has managed to outlive many of its contemporaries. While the traditional gourd calabash is somewhat uncommon today, reinterpretations of its basic constitution abound. Take this calabash from Mutcat: it is a true calabash, but it is not made from gourd and meerschaum, nor is it made out of tree heather root (briar). Instead, the main body of the pipe is made out of hardwoods that have a similar, established history in the construction of tobacco pipes in Southeast Asia. The bowl of the pipe is made from seasoned Lamtoro burl (Leucaena leucocephala); the chamber is a similarly seasoned lumber from the Johar tree (Senna siamea). Like briar, these hardwoods are heat-resistant and do not impart flavor into the smoke. As for the stem, this particular calabash uses Japanese ebonite.

 

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.69 / 17.52mm

Bowl Depth: 1.36″ / 34.54mm

Weight: 3.5oz / 100g