Very recently Italian carver Paolo Becker has been offering up sandblasted pipes such as this. Though it's a true contrast blast (he probably blasted the finished shape, then stained it black, then blasted it again with a softer media) the piece isn't finished in a top coat of stain, lacquer, or even any kind of wax, the result of which is a unique, virgin contrast blast. Which means the pipe, given tender love and care, will patina up quite a bit over the years. And I do mean 'years'; this Stack Billiard boasts a generously deep tobacco chamber, as you might imagine based on its measurments.
-- Ted Swearingen
