Karim Rusticated Bamboo Shank Handmade Briar Pipe, New [SOLD OUT]

Karim Pipes are made by Abdul Karim, an artisan pipe-maker based in Tangerang, Indonesia. A pipe-maker since 2016, Karim is part of an emerging 21st century movement of Indonesian artisan carvers, including Wandi Riyadi, Deden Hendan Durahman of Caxra Pipes, Karim’s mentor, Edy Bima, and Karim’s mentee, Bennie Joe, whose pipes MBSD has also sold. Karim carves most of his pipes freehand, and is often inspired by wildlife, leading to the creation of figural and organically styled designs. Karim also produces more traditional shapes with distinct inflections of his own choosing, such as his popular calabash pipes. As a big fan of Danish pipes, I was pleased to get this pipe from Karim for the store. It reminded me of the rustication styles used by Tom Eltang and his students Mike Sebastian Bay and Johannes Rasmussen of Suhr Pipes. It’s a strange, veiny and viscous approach to rustication, which works as an interesting counterpoint to the relatively traditional shape of the pipe, being a small, slightly canted apple or cutty. Topping off the design is a shank extension made of bamboo from Karim’s native Indonesia, and an acrylic ring sitting just before the pipe’s black ebonite stem. It’s a smaller pipe, one that is also incredibly lightweight, which makes it eminently portable and clenchable. I would recommend it for a thick-cut flake or for a more potent blend. Details: Length: 5.4″ Bowl Width: 17.8mm Bowl Depth: 1.4″ Weight: 0.8oz / 24g