Classic Rind Poker (30) Tobacco Pipe

Even a sturdy, rustic, simple design as this can gain much from the touch of a master artisan like Luigi Radice. The neoclassical proportions are tweaked just right, as in the subtle taper of the bowl, to ensure this poker sits perfectly on it's base, for example. Furthermore, the transition, which can easily come off as rather abrupt and utilitarian in this general shape family, here strikes the perfect balance between well-defined brevity and unifying smoothness. Even the taper of the shank and stem, in which the upper surface is favored and the lower one does most of the work, is tweaked to lend the composition a bit of lightness.

- Eric N. Squires