Danish Estates: Jess Chonowitsch Sandblasted Apple with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

An unusual pipe from Jess Chonowitsch, this piece is dominated by a large, Apple bowl with medium-deep sandblasting for texture and visual interest. It has stubby proportions, especially in relation to the impressive bowl, which is smooth at the rim and rounded in the typical fashion we've grown to expect over the last 40 years of Jess pipes, and the cheeking at the transition is moderate. The short, brawny shank is capped by boxwood in a rounded form to harmonize with the bowl, a fitting termination as the short saddle stem almost disappears in relation to the stummel. The piece sits, though it rocks a bit. While the rim darkening is minor, there's an aesthetic flaw in the stem at the lip button, where on the underside there is a minor crack in the vulcanite. It doesn't appear to be an issue that will get worse on its own, but it's probably not a good choice for anyone who bites down hard on their stems.