Smooth Lovat with Silver Tobacco Pipe

When we talk about Tom Eltang pipes, specifically in regards to the kind of shapes the carver is known to produce, it's natural, methinks, that words like 'Poker', 'Eskimo', and 'Cutty' should be those uttered in greatest frequency. And while that's all well and good, and certainly appropriate as Tom has really come to own those shapes in an important way, it's too bad that we're not all raving about Tom Eltang's Lovat. This is just a stunning, perfectly Danish rendition of the classic form, one I'm absolutely fond of to begin with. As expected, Tom's nailed the proportions here, from bowl height and breadth, to shank width and length, down to the rendering of the requisite saddle stem. The piece is particularly handsome on account of the flush sterling silver band that adorns the shank terminus, particularly in combination with the carver's signature golden contrast stain, which here shows off a heck of a lot of flame grain. What a beauty! -- Ted Swearingen