Within these little vertical sculptures, every aspect of contemporary life was depicted, glorified, satirized: terriers and grinning imps, two-faced popes and Cheshire cats, Bonaparte and the weeping Eve, a waistcoat-pocket menagerie. A glimpse of a tamper in a pipe smoker’s hand brought color, thought, and humor to the day. But by the 1880’s, mass manufacturing had replaced craft in most areas of life. Pipe smoking, the activity of a slower time, fell behind the fast, disposable cigarette. And tampers? They went the way of craftspeople: from the workshop to the factory.

Nearly all of today’s mass-produced tampers, made of acrylic, wood, steel, or brass, are functional - and they look it. The tamper is utility, not fantasy. Antique pieces can be found, but at a price their original owners never would - or could - have paid.

Catnip Hill Trading Co. offers an affordable solution, reproducing tampers by hand, one at a time, and fashioning some originals in their spirit, created by local artists. Over 30 designs in all are offered, from historical and comical characters to real and mythological animals - each cast from fine Pewter, one of the earliest tamper materials used. Each piece is hand-polished and finished, producing a collectible sculpture sure to earn the pride of casual pipe smokers or serious collectors alike. Wholesale orders may be placed online at the companies website, which displays the entire product line.