American Estates: Todd Johnson Smooth Blowfish with Mammoth (Phalanx) (Q) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Todd Johnson is one of North America's premier carvers, and his work is widely heralded as some of the finest in the world. For over 20 years, Johnson has devoted himself to the craft, and his years of experience are evident in every pipe he makes, with this Blowfish being a fetching example of his acumen as a craftsman and aestheticist.

Like many renditions of the artisan shape, this Blowfish boasts a playful asymmetry, with two crisp ridgelines playfully bifurcating the bowl and imbuing the totality of the shape with a pronounced lopsidedness. These ridglines lend a unique texture to the composition and produce distinctive facets around the bowl that keep things looking structural in profile. Unlike the bowl, the shank here is fairly traditional and slender, though it slowly expands as it exits the transition and approaches the saddle stem. The shank and stem lend the aft side of the composition a bit of gesture, offsetting some of the more architectural angles found at the bowl. An auburn smooth finish dresses the stummel and highlights gorgeous birdseye at the bowl's flanks and glorious cross grain across the rim and heel. An accent of mammoth further elevates the composition, providing just a touch of vibrant color to the pipe's otherwise traditional palette. It's no wonder Johnson awarded this piece is Phalanx Q grade, which represents his. finest work.