Tampers & Tools for Pipe Smokers

	Amboyna Burl A visually stunning, elegant species from Southeast Asia that delights the eye with a swirling maelstrom of deep reds, maroons, and burgandies ending suddenly at a dark border, across which finely flecked tans, browns and flashes of creamy whites contrast. With so much going on, amboyna still maintains a surprising dignity, with an effect that is rather formal overall. A bit of luxury to stuff in your pocket. Something with real heft for its size to keep the fingers occupied while thinking. You can tamp your tobacco with it, too, of course, and even unscrew it now and then to use the pick, or just to have something else to do while you're waiting to light your pipe. Considered a somewhat rare wood, amboyna burls are grabbed up by bowl turners, but now and then small, highly-figured pieces trickle down and when they do, I get as many as I can. I'll try to keep these coming, although I doubt they'll ever be standard items. Brass, and the black cap is polished water buffalo horn. Sold 1001AB...... $90
	Desert Ironwood Magnum Here's a handful of hard, heavy, lustrous desert ironwood. If you wonder why it's called that, try cutting some. Full of chatoyant gold fire and flash, this piece also shows the charcoal brown bands that usually predominate but too often overwhelm, making so much gold and russet in an already rare species rarer still... which is why I didn't have the heart to trim away more of this pretty wood than I had to... making this one big tamper. Don't get me wrong, though. While the brass business end's a full 9/16" across, it's in no way unwieldy and will still fit in small pipes. And this tamper has presence: you won't lose it on your desk and you'll know it's in your pocket. A generous slice of polished black water buffalo horn caps the whole affair with a comfortable finger recess, and the concave (like a golf tee) brass end unscrews, revealing a pick, there when you need it. Striking, exotic, one of a kind. Sold 1000DI...... $120
	Cocobolo Stainless steel cap & tamper. Sold 0002CO....... TBA
	Endangered Species? Hardly. Though it looks as exotic as leopard or speckled puff adder, it's coconut palm from the Florida Keys. Thing is, it's crosscut, exposing the wide capillaries that quickly draw water from even quicker tropical showers to the swaying fronds and heavy fruit before it's soaked into the warm sand. Now before you say "but it'll snap like a pretzel" or "palm is punkwood", let me assure you it's quite strong due to resins forced through its bundled tubing and cellular interstices. Which makes for one eyecatching display of wild, deep mahogany spots on opposing sides, with flashy horizontal venation thrown into the mix. Quite a show. And it has nice water buffalo horn on top and a brass tamping end with a pick. Large, stylish, unusual; it's sure to draw notice and the inevitable "just what is this, anyway?" Sold 1003CP...... $90