American Estates: Cardinal House Hollingsworth Dublin with Silver (A16) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Cardinal House pipes are made by Walt Cannoy, a respected artisan whose experience in the craft goes back to the 1990s. Each of Cannoy's pipes are completely hand made and hand finished, and the Cardinal House line was specifically created to offer all of these features in a series that included artful shaping at a reasonable price. This straight Dublin is a lovely example of his work, and presents with a vibrant color palette that draws the eye immediately. The stem here is a sleek saddle of sunny yellow acrylic whose slender bit has been slightly extended, keeping the aft side of this pipe looking svelte while adding some length to the composition. A rather thick, low-lying shank ebbs out of a wide transition to meet this stem, finding it at a junction that's here marked with a broad band of silver. The bowl sits atop a sweeping heel and takes on a subtle forward cant that urges its gentle flare to the inflated rim to the forefront of one's attention. Walls that are over two inches tall lend it an appreciable height, though the relatively compact outline here keeps the weight light and the pipe manageable, all while maintaining a comfortable feel in hand. The warm mahogany stain dressing the stummel showcases a brilliant sea of birdseye across the left flank of the bowl, while the right holds a sunburst pattern and the midsection is striated by cross grain. Unsmoked.