American Estates: Alex Florov Smooth Fish (2019) Tobacco Pipe

Russia-born artisan Alex Florov has produced artistic and inventive pipes since 2004, after a challenge from his father-in-law sparked his passion for the craft. Florov incorporates elements of Danish and Japanese style, excelling in artisan forms popularized by carvers from both countries, combining them with his own singular aesthetic vision.

This Fish is an excellent example of that style, featuring a plump, curvaceous bowl and a seamless transition to the angular asymmetric shank. The visual balance on display is quite striking. The shank's flat underside is delineated by two ridgelines that undulate fluidly from the shank face up through the bowl, with one ridge gradually fading into the bowl while the other continues to the rim. On top, the shank flares out and down to the right, blending in perfectly with the lower ridgeline. To balance the composition, the left side of the shank curls outward in the opposite direction, flaring into near paneled shape, creating a shank face that resembles a stylized eye. The hand-cut vulcanite stem mirrors the shank face in its saddle design, with a mouth piece that curves downward to the left, creating visual harmony as well as particularly comfortable bit.

Dressed in a rich walnut stain, the stummel boasts impeccable birdseye that swirls along both sides of the shank, with fine flame grain around the bowl. The grain is perfectly oriented, with each pattern following the supple shaping of the briar to create a pipe of truly artistic quality.