Ikebana Smooth Bent Brandy (F) Tobacco Pipe

Classics like this one are something we don't see terribly frequently from Tsuge. I'm always surprised when I see a straight billiard Tsuge Ikebana; yes, it's beautifully executed, but it's just not what I expect. The same holds here, though perhaps to a lesser degree, with this elegantly shaped and proportioned bent brandy. Excellent grain on both sides of the bowl and shank terminates into great birdseye on the bottom of the bowl and shank. The stem is unmistakable Tsuge, of course, from the slightly flaring saddle to the degree of bend in the stem relative to the bend in the shank. A beautiful pipe, and a real find for someone looking for a Tsuge Ikebana at the more classic end of the spectrum.

-- Sykes Wilford