In a new piece that he calls “a self-reflection of a cigar smoker,” Rick Hutchings of Scrim by HutcH Studio has released his newest design featuring a silverback gorilla.

The Scrim by HutcH Looking Glass cutter is made from stabilized buffalo horn, a process that treats the material by soaking it under pressure in a clear or colored acrylic solution, which in turn stops the material from shrinking and splitting. Hutchings produces each design in reverse scrimshaw, and can add the initials or name of the owner on the other handle. As with his other cutters, the body comes from a XIKAR Xi3, which features blades made from 440C stainless steel blades and having a Rockwell HRC 57 rating. They can cut the cap of a cigar up to 60 ring gauge.

“Looking into the eyes of a silverback gorilla always makes me wonder what he is thinking of me as I look at him,” Hutchings told halfwheel. “I always see myself in his eyes.”

The cutter comes with a protective elephant leather pouch and is available directly via the Scrim by HutcH Studios website, with pricing set at $400.

Image courtesy of Rick Hutchings/Scrim by HutcH Studio.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.