American Estates: Todd Johnson Smooth Scoop with Boxwood (Hoplite) (2010) Tobacco Pipe

Todd Johnson is one of the most recognized and respected artisans in America, and his contributions to modern American pipe making cannot be overstated. Johnson began carving pipes in the Spring of 2000, coming into the craft with a history of woodworking that afforded him a collection of useful tools and skills, though these skills were honed through teaching by Trever Talbert and, in 2001, Tom Eltang, who invited him to his workshop. Additional training at the hands of the legendary Lars Ivarsson provided him with a powerful arsenal of knowledge which he has used to create some of the most inventive and innovative pipes on the market, and has spread through teaching students of his own. As a student of Lars, it's no surprise that this Scoop looks incredibly Danish in form, with a distinctly Ivarsson-like stretch of shank and stem and a gestural sense of line that draws the eye forward.

Despite its lack of sweeping, dramatic curves, this pipe is quite fluid in profile, with a gently flowing central line and soft rounding throughout most of the stummel. That's not to say there aren't some firm edges here, as the boxwood-fitted stem base showcases a slightly sharp, stepped expansion toward the bit and the start of the rim's travel up front is marked by a ridgeline, but much of this piece is made up of easy arcs and curves which keep it very comfortable in hand. The shank here is reminiscent of those seen in the work of the Ivarssons, especially Lars and Nanna, being extended slightly and pushing out of the wide transition with a slow flare to a face that's fitted with a ring of boxwood. The Ivarssons don't have a monopoly on flared, extended shanks, of course, but the particular angle of this shank and the gradual nature of the flare itself are impossible to ignore when looked at together. A low-set transition positions the shank nearer to the bottom of the bowl here, the heel nearly nonexistent due to its complimentary lift, making the underside of the stummel a lilting arc that becomes more vivacious at the front. The walls of the bowl are certainly scoop-like, being wider at the fore and aft than at the flanks, though flaring from the heel on all sides and rising to its aforementioned ridgeline before taking on a lightly inflated taper to the rim. A vibrant mahogany stain dresses the stummel here, revealing flame grain that closely follows the flanks of the shank and wraps around the bowl, the top and underside here peppered with dense whorls of birdseye.