Andrey Grigoriev: Smooth Wrinkled Lovat with Horn Tobacco Pipe

Andrey Grigoriev often pushes the boundaries of what's considered normal or possible in pipe design, whether crafting non-standard tenons or fitting pipes to magnetic stems. Even his renditions of classic shapes bear unique elements that separate them from archetypal pipe-chart standards, as evidenced by this Wrinkled Lovat. In profile, the silhouette exudes traditional proportions and lines: The Billiard bowl is fitted to an elongated, circular shank and abbreviated saddle stem, and the relative proportions remain balanced between those elements. However, the upper left side of the bowl reveals Grigoriev's signature "wrinkled" technique, the Russian artisan having carved intricate grooves and ridges into the briar in a downward sloping orientation. It creates the illusion that this pipe isn't fashioned from briar but rather cloth or clay, with the material bunching up on itself. It's a remarkably impressive feat of both craftsmanship and artistry, and the technique is simultaneously eye-catching yet reserved and tasteful. The stummel is dressed in a rich, chestnut contrast stain, highlighting a cross-grain pattern that positions birdseye along the flanks, and a creamy accent of horn adorns the stem base for a hint of contrast in line with many pipes seen from revered Danish makers.