Welcome to Warp Zone – Travel the Worlds of Flavour in Style

A warp pipe is a portal that shunts a courageous plumber from one point to another, either aiding in the progression of his quest or by leading to subterranean bounties hidden just below the brick-laden ground. The most righteous amazingsmiths at Fangamer have taken this principle to heart with the recent release of the incredible Pipe Mug. This mug warps its contents from the mug into your mouth, revealing the hidden flavours and aromas within. That’s mad coin son, mad coin.

The Pipe Mug is in the same vein as the popular E-Mug, and just as much care is apparent in this product. A hefty, sturdy ceramic mug that oozes style and won’t spring a leak.

The first thought that sprung to mind when I caught wind of the Pipe Mug was that ‘man, I hope this isn’t just an E-Mug without the bottom lip and no E.’ However, I’ve got enough faith in Fangamer that I knew it would be surprising and I knew it would be excellent. I wasn’t disappointed, because the Pipe Mug is absolutely gorgeous.

I’d say the E-Mug is an instantly more striking product because of the intense colour. The colouration of the Pipe Mug is more subtle, and would be more muted sitting on your desk. However, this subtlety accentuates the true beauty of this mug and it remains iconic.

The colouration of the mug is appropriate because – hey, it’s a green pipe inspired by the Super Mario Brothers series after all. One of the more telling details is the classic pixelated pattern. It’s something that needs to be seen in person to be truly appreciated, though it does show up well in photography.

This detail is important to the mug. It completes the intended reference, makes it instantly recognizable to probably most anyone who has ever played a Super Mario Brothers game. The subtlety is again important here. The mug is not garish, it’s respectful of its references. People can ask about this mug and you can literally explain it in one sentence. That’s something I appreciate more and more as time goes on. If this was a Kuribo’s Shoe stein with a Goomba on the other end of the fulcrum, it would require a lot more explanation… actually, I don’t think I would mind in that case!

It’s hard to talk about the Pipe Mug without talking about the E-Mug, since that mug is the precursor to the Pipe. And after all, I expressed my love for the E-Mug with much gusto previously. But in the end these are two different animals for two different fanbases. The Pipe-Mug I believe is a more solid product than the OG E-Mug. Apparently, there is an E-Mug 2.0 now that addresses some customer comments, so I am not certain if Pipe Mug is indicative of E-Mug 2.0 or not. Forgive my ignorance in this instance.

My Pipe Mug is free of any irregularities in the ceramic. It is solid, balanced, and beautiful.

The majority of embellishment on this mug comes in the form of the handle. Now, the E-Mug has a comfortable grip, it provides ample finger room. The Pipe Mug has a tighter grip, there isn’t as much room for fingers but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. My thumb quickly negotiated to the convenient incline at the top of this handle. I’m not sure if this will prove to be the most ergonomic position, but that’s how my hand is naturally grasping this sucker.

It seems that a lot of folks had an issue with the lip of the E-Mug. I thought that it had more than adequate ‘lipscosity,’ personally. The Pipe Mug has a thinner lip, and seems more sip-friendly. The lip is perfectly weighted in relation to the rest of the mug. In this sense, with a much taller lip and lack of a bottom lip it is probably for the best that it is thinner. This mug has achieved equilibrium of its parts.

So it seems Fangamer has learned from an already excellent product and has created another phenomenal product in its wake. As a customer, that is more than exciting for the products. But this also applies to the packaging as well:

The [minor] issue I had with the packaging for E-Mug was that it was fairly light cardboard. Of course, Fangamer packs their stuff so well that these boxes are safe. The Pipe Mug uses a light material as well but the design of the packaging is much more solid. Now I see the real issue with the E-Mug packaging – the box was slightly too big in relation to the mug. The advantage the Pipe-Mug’s packaging has over E-mug’s is that it is much closer in size to the actual mug. This more compact design gives me confidence that the packaging will hold up better over time.

I save most Fangamer packaging because as much care seems to go into the labels and boxes as the products themselves. This tighter box is actually very much welcome by me.

Now, as far as pack-ins go the E-Mug included a small coaster. It was a thin coaster that while pretty was prone to curling. Fangamer has rectified this.

Block Coasters. These are thick PVC rubber coasters that are flexible and sturdy and seem to be more resistant to curling. Not to mention, they are absolutely gorgeous. Now, you will receive one coaster with the mug but a set can be purchased as well. Suffice it to say, I was almost more excited about the set of coasters than I was about the mug itself.

The coasters really complete this beast. You should pick some up and have the greatest coffee table in the world. What’s inside of that question block? Incredible adventures in the Land of Beverages.

So what it comes down to is that this is another solid product from a solid company. It continues the trend of having a subtle, respectful point of reference that folks in the know will appreciate and that remains attractive to those that aren’t. Despite the classic-oriented details on the mug, these pipes have appeared in so many generations of Mario. They are ubiquitous and as such this mug boasts some fairly universal appeal. It’s a platformer inspired mug that creates a platform for excellent drink consumption.

It speaks volumes that this mug could look so distinct while remaining so grounded in its roots. That such details could change a ‘green mug’ into a Pipe Mug. Like the E-Mug before it, the Pipe Mug would be perfectly acceptable as a display piece. That’s the duality of these products. They are art from which you drink.

I was stoked before I received this mug, and I’m even more excited now that I have the blasted thing. If you can make every sip an enthusiastic one, then you’ve most definitely succeeded.

The product page for the Pipe Mug is here, and the block coasters are here.