Alexander Tupitsyn: Smooth Bent Egg with Silver Tobacco Pipe

Alexander Tupitsyn is one of three artisans who comprise the PS Studio workshop in Russia, working alongside Sergey Dyomin and master maker Vladimir Grechukhin, as well as carving handmade pipes under his own name. Tupitsyn's style is influenced by his time as Grechukhin's student, with compact, stout proportions true to the St. Petersburg school of design. This Bent Egg is a striking, fluidly curved take on the shape that boasts ample substance about its build and a delightful plumpness about its bowl that keeps the eye focused on the fore. The transition is wide, with plenty of room to accept a digit if desired, and it's been cheeked at the flanks, emphasizing the bowl's rotund walls before smoothing out near the shank's peak. This shank takes on a gently curling trajectory as it lifts out of the transition, maintaining a consistent breadth as its cylindrical build rises to meet a ring of silver at the junction. This silver band marks the shank's marriage to a slim, black vulcanite saddle stem complete with a firm ridgeline at the base and a sleek, subtly downturned bit that poises the pipe for comfortable smoking. Compared to the rest of this pipe's construction, the expansion ring at the base of the stem stands out, being the firmest element of its build and drawing a bit of the visual weight away from the bowl.

Up front, a sweeping heel supports the bowl as it grows thick, robust walls, which expand gently toward a low-set waistline infused with ample curvature to make for a comfortable feel in hand. From this waist, the walls assume a gentle taper to the rim, boasting rich curves as they reach toward a subtle ridge, with the rim itself displaying a softly domed shape and a smooth chamfer into the chamber. Said chamber features plenty of space for smoking sessions, and the ample thickness of the walls does well to insulate this chamber as the bowl makes its dynamic forward cant. Balanced and timelessly handsome, this pipe would be a fantastic addition to any collection, and it's especially noteworthy for enthusiasts of Tupitsyn's work, as its particular, understated curves stand out among the artisan's other examples of the Egg shape. Dressed in a deep, rich contrast stain, this pipe's outline is draped in flowing flame grain that follows its contours phenomenally, with streaks surrounding the bowl and lining the shank while the underside is awash with swirling birdseye.