German Estates: Cornelius Mänz Smooth Bent Brandy (710) (2010) Tobacco Pipe

While Cornelius Mänz always respected the craft of pipe making, it wasn't until the German carver's 30th birthday that he felt the desire to make pipes of his own. He happened across a pipe making workshop while vacationing in Denmark and witnessed the actual process of shaping and carving. He immediately bought a pre-drilled briar block to practice on when he returned home. Over time, Mänz honed his skills, and he now enjoys a reputation as one of the world's premier artisans, with his work having received praise from Tom Eltang and Bo Nordh. This bent Brandy is a fine example of his craftsmanship, as it possesses the strong sense of dynamism and the organic shaping that make the carver's work so enchanting.

Atop a lifted heel, the bowl surges upward and outward, imbuing the totality of the design with a sense of palpable momentum. The form's characteristic taper from heel to rim is present but subdued, almost concealed by the bowl's forward drive. The bowl is demarcated from the rest of the stummel by a subtle ridgeline that wraps around the transition. This ridgeline lends the bowl independence within the composition while also accentuating said bowl's visual prominence. The shank curls toward a slender saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite, both of which work in concert to provide a touch of fluidity to the pipe in profile. It's all handsomely presented in a smoky smooth finish that highlights the tight strands of flame grain on all sides of the bowl.