Alexander Tupitsyn: Sandblasted Bent Apple with Cocobolo Tobacco Pipe

Russian artisan Alexander Tupitsyn has been mentored extensively by Vladimir Grechukhin, and makes his own pipes as well while also collaborating with Grechukhin and Sergey Dyomin to make pieces for PS Studio. In keeping with the elder Russian's style, Tupitsyn's work displays strong cues of the St. Petersburg school — a design tradition that favors overtly muscular interpretations of classic Danish shapes — especially prominent in this sculptural bent Apple. Hewing closely to the design of many of Alexander's previous Apples, with a plump, muscular bowl and a stout shank presenting a gestural triangle in cross-section, this pipe benefits from an additional bespoke element; the shank extends under the bowl in a clearly demarcated section that hints toward a Cup-and-Ball shape.

Clearly Tupitsyn, with deft touches like the slight surge at the rim's fore, and the finely-balanced juxtaposition of voluptuous bowl and structural shank, it bespeaks fierce beauty backed by an ocean of quiet strength. A rippling sandblast and vibrant contrast stain put the briar's growth rings on full display as they cascade down the pipe's profile, while a flaring panel forming the pipe's underside is finished smooth to accentuate mesmerizing birdseye. A domed accent of cocobolo wood tops the shank, and a svelte saddle stem of hand-cut vulcanite nestles securely into the handsome arrangement. A pristine piece, this pipe will strike a bold, proud figure whether in hand or while smoked, and will elevate any discerning smoker's collection of fine pipes.