Abe Herbaugh: Sandblasted Rhodesian with Horn Tobacco Pipe

American carver Abe Herbaugh tends to craft organic, Danish-inspired shapes, demonstrating an eye for precise lines, supple curves, and handsome accenting materials. This Rhodesian is a brilliant example of Herbaugh's style, showcasing the artisan's ability to render classic, Anglo-French shapes in new and interesting ways. Unlike a traditional Rhodesian, the bowl of this piece boasts a pointed, Acorn-like heel and a more consistent curvature than other renditions of the shape. The form's beadlines stand high on the bowl's waistline and mark the precise start of the rim's supple inward curve. The bowl in its entirety is gently forward-canted, which lends the entire composition a touch of dynamism in profile. A slender shank lifts out of the transition and gives way to a creamy ferule of horn, which swiftly flares to meet a demurely curved saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite. The aforementioned horn accent adds a touch of vibrancy to the shape's otherwise reserved color palette, and it naturally draws the eye from the stummel to the stem. A crisp, jet-black sandblast dresses the briar and unveils impressive ring grain and plenty of texture around the bowl, elegantly contrasted by a smooth, birdseye-dappled rim.