Misc. Estates: Michail Kyriazanos Sandblasted Prince (2015) Tobacco Pipe

Greek artisan Michail Kyriazanos takes inspiration from the Anglo-French marques of years past, holding a deeply-ingrained respect for a shaping tradition he sees as being committed to excellent functionality and aesthetic perfection without excess. His commitment to this style of shaping without superfluousness is even reflected in his logo, a re-imagined homage to Cycladic art figurines which are the oldest known intentionally minimalist art, and in his pipe making work as well. This Prince is a wonderful example of Michail's more classic leanings, looking like it would be at home on nearly any Anglo-French marque's shape chart. As a Prince, this pipe is possessed of a demure curvature, one held entirely by the cumberland stem, which takes up the majority of the aft's visual weight. The shank is both extremely trim and slim, tapering out gently from a wide transition that leaves plenty of room to drape a thumb, and keeps the aft of this pipe quite gracile. Held aloft at the end of the shank and stem is the bowl, a plump, bulb-like affair that's rich with curves to wrap the fingers around: its squat and compact build keeping the weight light and easy to clench. Dressed in a ruby-tinged sandblast, the stummel offers ample texture for the fingers to explore while highlighting impressive growth rings throughout.