Abe Herbaugh: Sandblasted Peewit (39) with Silver Tobacco Pipe

One of the United States' most accomplished artisan carvers, Abe Herbaugh's portfolio primarily comprises refined, organic works crafted in the Danish style, all infused with his sophisticated signature style. Given his affinity for Danish design, it's no wonder that one of Herbaugh's signature shapes is the classically Danish Peewit, with this particular example representing a specific iteration of the shape: Stanwell's iconic "39." Designed by Sixten Ivarsson, father of the modern artisan pipe-making movement, the "39" is one of the Peewit's archetypal forms, being one of the earliest examples of the profile after it debuted in around the late 1950s. The resemblance is apparent, though this pipe pays tribute to its spiritual sibling in more subtle ways, with an outline reminiscent of the Egg rather than the "39"'s more Acorn-like build. The transitions of the two are rather similar, with this piece featuring a more parabolic build that's pulled in a bit tighter thanks to its slightly sharper shank angle. This shank pushes out straight but only slightly, before it swiftly lifts and starts an easy taper toward a broad silver cap possessed of a slight flare out toward its rounded face. At the area where the shank lifts, the briar takes on a subdued musculature at the underside that's more overt and slightly angular in the "39," lending this piece a smoking posture well-suited to jaw-hanging. The stem is stylized, with expansion rings at the base that are crafted to mimic the shape of the silver accent, continuing some extremely understated implied lines, while the stem's bit is angled to replicate the curve of the "39." Up front, the bowl stands on a firm, pronounced heel that's not quite spurred but is certainly defined, and it grows nicely curved, Egg-like walls that take on a comfortably rounded arc to the rim. Possessed of a jaunty forward cant, just like the shape that inspired it, this pipe stays true to the spirit of Ivarsson's design while remaining a wholly original and accomplished composition from the American artisan. Dressed in a crisp sandblast and a dark contrast stain, the stummel showcases beautiful grain, with rippling ring grain surrounding the bowl: all striated by visible wisps of flickering flame revealed by the stain's lighter tones.