Abe Herbaugh: Smooth Volcano Tobacco Pipe

Abe Herbaugh never ceases to amaze. The skill he possesses is stunning, though it's only natural, given his 10 years of prior experience as a guitar builder and numerous years carving handmade artisan pipes. Herbaugh has crafted Volcanos for us several times in the past, though it continues to be a rarer shape from the carver. This is quite a different take on the shape than those we've seen before, though it retains certain elements, such as an upward flicking shank, a dynamic forward momentum, and a keen sense of asymmetry.

This specific piece, however, showcases this asymmetry immaculately, as each element of its construction exists in a harmonious state of proportional balance. The wrapping ridgeline that frames the underside dips lower on the right flank, pushing the walls of the bowl down lower than on the left, with the fore section illustrating this ridge's curving travel around the underside of the stummel. Said wrapping ridge lifts through the aft end of the pipe, pushing through the pinched sides of the transition and following the shank's flare outward to its end.

The shank has not only been curved upward tightly, it also flares outward at the end, creating a domed, rhombus-shaped face which is tilted on its axis, with the ridges that meet it carved to curve into its apexes. From an aerial view, this piece takes on a sloped look which favors the right flank, offering an organic sense of structure and a sleek, fluid kind of dynamic momentum which keeps things thoroughly engaging. Dressing this pipe is a warm, auburn-hued smooth finish that reveals a wealth of handsome grain throughout the stummel, with a wrapping array of flame grain rounding the bowl and a vast basin of dense birdseye covering the underside.