There’s nothing quite like the thrill of the thrift, hitting the jackpot after hours spent sifting through piles of dusty junk. Imagine the pure joy of a perfect vintage piece, only without the junk and dust. The Tokyo Smoke Heirloom Stack may look just like a family ornament passed from generation to generation, but there’s much more to this multi-purpose tool than meets the eye. The delicately engineered stack is made up of three pieces — pipe, storage vessel and ash tray—each meticulously designed to fit together in a seamless, elegant package.
The Heirloom Stack serves four unique functions. This pretty piece is an all-in-one grind, pack, store and smoke station. The faceted pink glass catches light in the most dreamy way, and is just as likely to spark conversation among interior design professionals as it is with your smoke-inclined friends. The brilliant architectural team behind this elevated toke tool? The good people of Castor Design.
Born of the collaboration between Tokyo Smoke and Castor Design, the Heirloom Stack balances elevated design and function. Berkeley Poole, VP and Creative Director at Tokyo Smoke Brands, emphasized the duality of the piece when we caught up to discuss its development. “You can have it out on your coffee table and people might initially think it’s a ring stack, or an ashtray, or your grandmother’s candy dish — it’s hiding in plain sight.”
Brian Richer, founder of Castor Design, echoed Poole’s thoughts. “When stacked, it’s not clear what the function is, however, there's a familiarity to it,” he told us, “We wanted the form to be discreet and familiar.”
Atop the pyramid of rosy glass sits a cone-shaped pipe of just the right length; generous enough to protect bangs and lashes from singeing, yet still ergonomic and unassuming. The bowl is buried in the storage vessel when stacked, keeping the tool’s purpose tucked away when not in use.
The cup-shaped storage vessel sits inside the center of the ash tray, enclosing an unexpected design feature. Taking its cue from the tried and proven traditional mill pattern, a hidden grinder is nested between the patterned bottom of the storage cup and the center ring of the ash tray. These delicate design touches didn’t come together overnight, Poole tells us. “Each element of design went through a lot of iterations and extensive development.”
The results are both beautiful and effective. Far from your typically messy grind, the Heirloom Stack’s recessed grind plate allows you to simply grind the cup against it like a mortar and pestle, leaving your ground bud daintily contained within the circle’s contours.
The Heirloom Stack evidently has every piece needed for the perfect session—just add your favourite dried flower. To get started, remove the cone-shaped pipe, and lift the cup from the ashtray. Place your uncrushed bud in the center ring of the ash tray (this part should remain ash-free), and hold your storage cup. Place the bottom of the cup over your bud, and apply pressure, twisting the tool to grind.
Not ready to light up just yet? Your flower lives to light another day within the storage cup until you’re good and ready. Finally, grab the pink pipe, pack your flower loosely into the bowl and light. Tap excess ash onto the outer ring of the circular pink ashtray.
The last rule for use? Keep it clean. As with any prized possession, you’ll want to keep the stack pipe sparkling and at its best to impress your friends and family. Use rubbing alcohol or the Higher Standards Supreme Cleaning Kit to remove build up, and reassemble the three-piece stack once dry. Finally, return the rosy Heirloom Stack to its prominently-displayed resting place. After all, this isn’t something to be hidden away in a shoebox.
