Smooth Sparrow (7) Tobacco Pipe

I just had an epiphany, an "ah hah!" moment, if you will. Until a few seconds ago, I had no idea that Tonni had a name for this shape. I have seen this composition from Tonni before and never quite "got it". I can see a lot of (kinda, sorta) shapes that could have inspired it, and have called it a couple of differing things, depending on what single element leaped out at me. Today, I was looking at the notes that came with this shipment (something I rarely do, I am kind of divorced from receiving, pricing, etc) and I saw that this shape is called a "Sparrow" by Tonni. For about ten seconds I had a look on my face that was somewhat akin to that of a baboon being handed a Rubik's cube. Then.. I saw it. Take a peak from the side and visually eliminate the shank for a second, and the sparrow appears. The front panel perfectly mimics the arc of the bird's breast, the side panels are the wings folded! As you would expect from a "7" grade, the grain of this pipe is rather remarkable. Rather than finish this pipe with a mazur birch mount, Tonni elected to place the wood as an inlay in the bit. Sparrow. son of a gun!

--Bear Graves