Alexander Tupitsyn: Sandblasted Canadian Tobacco Pipe

Though this is the first Canadian shape we've seen come our way from Alexander Tupitsyn, it's certainly familiar, combining cues that have become part and parcel of the Russian carver's work. Said cues would be a sense of low sleekness and a firm, crisp sense of line, coupled with a subtly rounded disposition about the bowl's flanks, as well as a neatly-tucked, well-defined transition. Altogether, it's rather astonishing that we haven't seen Alexander tackle this traditional Billiard-family shape before, as all of these attributes seem to describe what should be a handsome, plump-bowled take on the characteristically long-shanked shape. And as chance would have it, that's exactly what we have here. And one with an excellent display of stacked ring-grain, too.

- Daniel Bumgardner