Bill Shalosky: Sandblasted Bent Dublin with Horn (345) Tobacco Pipe

With such a varied array of finishing techniques, accent media, and stylistic shaping influences, it's no wonder Bill Shalosky's work is so acutely his. Take this bent Dublin for example: in form, it exudes the carver's penchant for drawing inspiration from the realm of Industrial Design, with its tight-knit, upward-thrust bowl, crisply-etched about the rim but deeply sweeping about the transition and aft. This allows for a naturally ergonomic feel in hand, and together with the dark sandblasted finish, a textural one as well, not to mention an excellent stylistic contrast to the more modernist linework of the shape itself. And for good measure, Bill's thrown in an excellent bit of horn at the shank's end, and one wearing an especially interesting pattern of creamy swirling tones to boot.