J. Alan Smooth Nautical Bent Dublin with Boxwood (972) (2014) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Muscular proportions and organic shaping cues abound in the portfolio of Jeff Gracik, the artisan behind J. Alan pipes. Gracik draws from both Danish and American influences, both of which are readily evident in this Nautical Dublin.

A clean, crisp ridgeline wraps around the stummel with graceful fluidity, flowing from the fore of the bowl all the way through the shank's right flank. In doing so, said ridgeline lends the bowl's fore an appearance similar to that of a ship's bow, hence this pipe's "Nautical" name. Underscored by a smooth, steady curve, the thick shank lifts up gracefully to join the arcing saddle stem. This offering wears a light, smooth finish that beautifully accentuates the briar's grain: The smooth, inflated rim showcases a wealth of stunning birdseye, while the walls of the bowl and flanks of the shank are streaked with tight tendrils of flame grain. A boxwood accent adorns the shank face, which shares the same teardrip shape as the rim of the bowl, only rotated 90 degrees for an elegant touch of asymmetry and dynamism.