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Here is the simple and straightforward pipe that #12-03T was meant to be! Well, as simple as a bamboo-shanked morta can be, anyway. This is another bowl from our dwindling stock of Breton morta, harvested and brought back with us from Brittany. It made a gorgeous sandblast, with very tight age rings. It's also a fair bit larger than our typical mortas - Although it is squat and stubby in overall dimensions, it has a big bowl chamber and thick walls, and is what I consider ideal size.

The stem on this is handcut black German ebonite, and the bamboo shank section is something a bit unusual... It isn't bamboo bought from a commercial supplier, but rather it was grown and harvested by my pipemaker friend Paul Tatum, some 6+ years ago. I've got a bundle of the stuff (See the first photo) and it's quite gnarly - Very root-covered and twisted. While it is not so pristine and perfect in appearance as the bamboo sold by commercial suppliers, it has a bit more unique history and personally, I'm fond of the gnarlier look. It's also much fatter than is currently in fashion - This was a personal choice of mine. It seems that the rule today is that all bamboo-shank pipes must have these incredibly thin and delicate bamboo shanks, so naturally when I do one I am compelled to go in the opposite direction and make the thing a fat little monster, thick and chunky all over. It may look a bit simple and ungainly, but I find the proportions very friendly in the hand and this is one of those pipes I really wish I could keep for myself. A note to the financially-able buyers - This pipe would be an ideal half of a two pipe set with the bamboo-shanked smooth Talbert from 2006, as they have similar bowl sizes and similar fat proportions, and would provide an ideal briar/morta comparison set.