Smooth Elephants Foot (Lion) Tobacco Pipe

It has been a bit since we had a smooth elephant's foot from Lasse, much less a Lion Grade that represented the pinnacle of his current interpretation of the form. Now I know why and the wait was worth it. With this Lion Grade, Lasse has made a leap from creating solid, respectable executions of the elephant's foot to a towering interpretation that is on par with some of the greatest that the industry has created (and God knows that I have chosen my words carefully). The composition is bold, unequivocating and shows an architectural clarity of intent that I usually associate with Kent Rasmussen, while still claiming a touch of charming baroque with its totality. Though the birdseye on the back is a tad diffuse, the crosscut of the sides is startling in its density and regularity and the birdseye on that magnificent front panel equals some of the best that I have ever encountered. Lasse? My heartiest congratulations!

--Bear Graves