| The image of a man smoking a pipe always gives the | | | | delivering poignant lines. |
| impression that he is thinking, pondering or churning | | | | The calabash, or "a calabash" is a vegetable, a form |
| something in his mind. And the bigger the bowl, the | | | | of squash. When ripe, it is used in Asia, Africa and |
| deeper these men seem to go into their thoughts. The | | | | Central America as a culinary delicacy. When mature, |
| man that most comes to mind is Sherlock Holmes. | | | | or dried, it’s gourd is used as a musical instrument, |
| One of the deepest thinkers of the 19th century. And | | | | to transport water or to smoke tobacco. |
| even though he was a figment of Conan Doyle’s | | | | An old style Calabash pipe is made of a part of the |
| imagination, we always have a hard time believing that | | | | calabash gourd resembling a horn. Inside the wide end |
| the detective is imaginary. He is so real. | | | | of the gourd is inserted a detachable bowl, in the |
| Many of Sherlock’s habits are reputed to have | | | | shape of an upside-down bowler hat. A cork gasket |
| been emulated from Mr. Doyle’s own habits. Most | | | | keeps the bowl firmly in place. The bowl is usually |
| illustrations of the period show the famous detective | | | | made of Meerschaum stone, but sometimes we can |
| and Mr. Doyle puffing away on a long stemmed clay | | | | find the bowl made of porcelain or briar wood.Some |
| pipe, with his tobacco at his side, kept in an old Persian | | | | of the older Calabash pipes would have a silver cover, |
| slipper. In those days, Holmes’ habits of smoking | | | | but not today. On the narrow end of the gourd, a briar |
| cigars, cigarettes, and pipes were not considered a | | | | cylinder is inserted, many times covered with a silver |
| vice. Holmes always described his habits as bohemian. | | | | band. This is the actual shank, where the tenon of the |
| Why then, has the Calabash pipe always been related | | | | stem is inserted. This is necessary because the |
| to the famous detective? Because at the time, it was | | | | gourd’s material is too fragile to sustain so many |
| used by actors who portrayed characters that | | | | insertions and removals of the stem when the pipe |
| smoked pipes. The Calabash pipe not only can be | | | | needs cleaning. The stem is usually bent, made of |
| seen from very far, it is also a great hand prop for | | | | vulcanite or lucite. |