American Estates: J. Alan Smooth Billiard with Ivorite (2018) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Rendered in Nosewarmer length, this charming straight Billiard from Jeff Gracik of J. Alan pipes pays homage to the Danish design movement with a softly inflated rim and a bit of cheekiness about the bowl's heel. However, Jeff has made the design his own, crafting a slight taper to the rise of the bowl and adding a thin ring of Ivorite at the shank end.

The American carver's skill at reading a block of briar is fully evident here, as he has teased out a stunning cross grain arrangement with dense fields of birdseye resplendent on both flanks. Wearing a high-contrast auburn stain over glossy smooth finish, the grain is unmissable all over the stummel, with horizontal striations sweeping across the fore and aft of the bowl, the rim, and the underside. The fit and finish, from the slight chamfer of the rim to the hand-cut vulcanite saddle stem, are all exemplary just as with all of Gracik's work, and this phenomenal unsmoked pipe will make a crown jewel for a very lucky collection.