American Estates: Walt Cannoy Smooth Freehand (C4) (120804) Tobacco Pipe

Walt Cannoy is an American artisan most recognized for his Cardinal House line of affordable artisan pipes, though Cannoy carves pieces under his own name as well, with this particular Freehand being an earlier piece from the carver. This Freehand has a distinctly Danish Fancy air about its build, with an unapologetically bowl-forward construction that's rife with asymmetry. The walls are impressive in stature, with more than two and a half inches in height and nearly two inches in breadth, and they surround a capacious chamber, with the right wall growing taller than the others and giving way to a deeply sloped rim. These walls make an impressive flare from their slightly flattened, sloped heel and draw the eye to the fore easily, with a rather wide transition out back giving way to a slightly lifted, flaring shank. This shank terminates in an angled face, where it's met by a stylized stem of black vulcanite, complete with an expansion ring at its base. A hearty piece with plenty of substance to appreciate, this pipe is dressed in a warm, mahogany-hued stain that reveals flickering flame grain surrounding the bowl.