mah new tampuh
June 12, 2005 – 1:47 amsometimes, when form and function are colliding well, they birth something so small and aesthetically smooth it makes your head snap around. ‘beguiling’ is the word. my wedding ring was one. white gold. celtic knot. left hand. perfect.
and here we have exhibit B:
(pics clickable)
i am, quite frankly, agog.
the history: the newly refurbished riviera features a portafilter so small in diameter that no one has a tamper for it any more. besides that, the lever brewing action requires a coarse grind and a tamp that’s light but firm (not the 30 pounds required for today’s machines of heft). i was, temporarily, using my salad dressing cap (ahem). turns out buddy kalen, he of the well-practiced lathe hand, saw my plight and turned the masterpiece you see here out of a piece of wild african olive (as opposed to the cultivated genus species, of which there are many). the result is the smallest and most perfectly balanced tamper i’ve ever seen. and, considering the diminished need for weight with said riviera, it’s as functional as it is groovy. kalen tells me it will turn a shade of deep red with age, and has already started thanks to three inseperable days in my pocket and left hand. i’ve twirled the thing for hours. it’s irresistable.
what’s more, kalen tells me he can bust out more pretty easily. all kinds of crazy african hardwoods — pink ivory, and the like. seems he’s open to selling a few.
mine already smells faintly like a four-day yemen.
UPDATE: the pics were done by the biolumiescent cypriot, who, once he saw the thing, got a bit carried away with the photos and accessorizing. next thing i know, he’s got the modeling clay and my marbled tamper is striking an unnaturally cantered pose. loose coffee beans, a shot of espresso and other props soon joined the fray. some results (click for bigger versions):
another favorite.
the stick-shift top.
heavily accessorized.
