Misc. Estates: Martin Paljesek Smooth Bent Pot with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Martin Paljesek is Slovakian artisan who has been making pipes since 2011, beginning as a part-time artisan while attending college before eventually pursuing the craft full time in 2016. While Martin crafts excellent renditions of shape-chart standards, his portfolio is largely comprised of organically inclined compositions, with this bent Pot offering being a wonderful example. Measuring barely over five inches in length, it's a compact and pocket-friendly interpretation with a broad and muscular bowl. Natural plateau is oriented along the surface of the gently inflated rim while a bright ring of bamboo adorns the shank end, both elements nicely emphasizing the shape's organicism. Paljesek often shapes pipes according the the briar's grain and it's certainly evident on this piece, with streaks of flame grain along the flanks leading into whorls of birdseye that dance across the rim. The hand-cut stem offers a soft downturn to balance the bowl's cant, and will help in providing a comfortable, hands-free smoking experience.