German Estates: Tom Richard Smooth Apple with Bamboo (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

A former architecture student and long-time pipe smoker, Tom Richard began his pipe making career with encouragement from Poul Winslow and instruction from Rainer Barbi, the German artisan crafting fine pieces such as this Apple. A fairly lengthy pipe more than six and a half inches long, this piece is rather lightweight in hand and offers a handsomely organic aesthetic that ensures it remains a standout member of any collection. The transition is wide and gives way to a short, tapering shank capped with a band of black vulcanite before being extended by two knuckles of pale bamboo. This extension creates an area of visual focus at the aft side of the pipe, drawing the eye slightly away from the bowl and balancing the look of the composition. Another band of black vulcanite caps the far end of the bamboo extension, marking the junction to a matching saddle stem with an impressively sleek bit and a rounded base shaped to complement the outline of the bowl. Said bowl stands on a sweeping heel and grows supple, flaring walls that reach up to a domed, Acorn-like rim, complete with a chamfer into the chamber at the edge. Dressed in a warm, walnut-toned stain, the stummel showcases handsome grain throughout, with flame surrounding the bowl and lining the shank, as birdseye peppers the underside and rim.