Pipe case of unexpected material

March 2014

For the smoker the tobacco pipe is a precious instrument, especially a well-smoked pipe because it guarantees tasteful smoking. Not surprisingly, the smoker handles his smoking equipment with care and purchases a box or case for it to move the pipe safely. Many of these luxury pipe cases have been handed down because they quickly became collectors' pieces due to their carving or unexpected material. That also applies to this pipe case, made from coquilla nut, a tropical nut. Characteristic of these nuts is that they are soft when they are found, but after a few days harden to a rock-hard material. Because a fresh nut can be cut well, it is suitable for the manufacture of all kinds of decorated objects. However, a pipe case is not obvious. The long stem can only be made when different pieces of nut are attached to each other. Well, apparently the people who worked with this material had a great skill and indeed succeeded in fitting separate stem pieces together with a screw thread. In this way an exclusive pipe case was created that attracted admiration of most users because the material, which was very similar to wood, was not known and was surprisingly smooth and heavy by the high specific gravity.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 21.908

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