Misc. Estates: Sergey Ailarov Sandblasted Bent Apple with Maple Tobacco Pipe

Russian artisan Sergey Ailarov boasts a varied portfolio that draws influence from numerous schools of design, including the Danish, Japanese, and Saint Petersburg styles, with many of his pipes boasting an impressive compactness and stout, plump features. This bent Apple is a great example of that style, coming in at just a bit over four and a half inches long and offering a hearty substance to appreciate in hand. The reserved footprint of this piece makes it an excellent choice for travel carry, and its subdued curvature through the shank and stem lends it a more comfortable posture for hands-free smoking. A wide, cheeked transition emphasizes the presence of the bowl and gives way to a short, lifting shank capped with a domed accent of maple, this accent marking the junction to a black vulcanite saddle stem with a stylish expansion ring at the base. Up front, the bowl stands on a sweeping, subtly lifted heel that supports hearty walls as they expand to a mid-set waist before making an arcing taper to the rim. Reminiscent of the Tomato, this pipe is dressed in a crisp, earthy sandblast that unveils rippling bands of ring grain flowing down the walls of the bowl, while the underside and rim reveal blasted birdseye.