Danish Estates: Kent Rasmussen Partially Sandblasted Cherrywood with Masur Birch Tobacco Pipe

Kent Rasmussen made his first few pipes in 1994 as an amateur and didn't pick up another block of briar until 1998, and I think I can speak for all pipe enthusiasts when I say that I am incredibly thankful he did. If he had not, we wouldn't have the privilege of beholding pipes such as this Striking Cherrywood rendition. There's a great deal of dynamism at play here, with momentum carried through every facet of this piece's construction, something that's especially prevalent through the shank and stem, as the sleek S-curve that they take on dips into the transition, meeting a forward urging bowl to give the impression this piece is speeding onward. The stem itself is a lithe and stylized saddle affair with a base that flares out to a firm expansion ring, tapering, then, to the junction, with this area adorned with a band a masur birch. An expansion ring such as this offers some visual separation between the shank and the stem, as well as a good degree of intrigue, drawing a bit of visual weight away from the bowl so that the eye is drawn naturally to the transition. Said transition is tightly-knit, though it's wide enough to allow for easy thumb-draping, lending a comfortable feel in hand as it works in concert with the bowl's curves. A flattened heel allows for easy sitting of this pipe, its expert balance making it exceptionally stable on a flat surface, and from here we see the bowl blossom forth, growing skyward with a distinct forward cant and flaring, Dublin-like as it does. All of the lines here are extremely straight and consistent, with only the faintest hint of a curve to either the fore or aft side, the expansion of the briar coming to its terminus at a firm ridgeline before a swift, easy slope to the edge of the chamber takes over, the rim quite expansive. Said rim is dressed in a warm auburn-mahogany stain that unveils some enchanting swirls of dancing birdseye, while the rest of the stummel showcases a dark, inky sandblast, with rippling ring grain cascading down the walls of the bowl, further contrast being offered by the pale hues of the birch accent.