Todd Johnson Sandblasted Tomato with Ivorite (Hoplite) Tobacco Pipe

A woodworker for years before he started making pipes in 2000, Todd Johnson credits Danish legend Tom Eltang above all other artisans for influencing his work. He also learned from Lars Ivarsson, and formally studied aesthetics as a student at Samford University and Yale University.

The bowl of this Hoplite-graded Tomato from Todd is, pun intended, a tad squashed as it reaches just 1.12 inches deep and its slope down to the top of the pointed ovoid shank is rather gradual and short. It's nonetheless beautifully made, the sandblast accentuating if not enhancing the growth rings on the right flank and the birdseye on the left, and the dark stain offering a classic, sleek appearance. A slender ring of Ivorite backs up the shank before it transitions to the half-saddle stem of swirling green-and-black vulcanite with a splash of red. Todd's unique shaping and natural sense of color makes this a brilliantly handsome pipe sure to please any Tomato fan.