American Estates: Bill Walther Sandblasted Tomato (2017) Tobacco Pipe

Though he became a full-time pipe maker in 2013, Bill Walther has been making pipes since the 1980s, his retirement from restoring antique watches allowing him to turn his hobby into a full-time passion. This Tomato rendition displays some of his Danish influence, pairing a supple, plump bowl to a gently tapering length of shank and stem, the former raised up slightly to offer a refined sense of posture and poise to the stem and composition as a whole. Said stem presents as a cream and coffee hued stretch of saddle-oriented vulcanite, downturned slightly at the bit for easy smoking. The transition is quite wide, leaving plenty of room to drape a thumb, and, beneath, we see a lively lift given to the heel, pushing the bowl upward and into prominence. A mid-set waistline keeps the bowl wonderfully curvaceous on all sides, lending it an extremely comfortable feel in hand and making it an excellent canvas to display the stummel's earthy, muted sandblast, revealing lovely grain and keeping the look of things quite reserved and rustic.