Bill Shalosky: Sandblasted Morta Apple with Fordite (390) Tobacco Pipe

For his entry in the 2018 American Pipe Making Exposition, Bill Shalosky fittingly sent us this stunning Apple design — crafted from dark, sandblasted morta and accented by one of his signature Fordite bands. Fordite is a singular accent in the world of pipe making: It's the harvested results of overspray in old American automotive factories, which would build up and be baked and re-baked again and again, layer by layer, until it became thick enough that the factory workers had to remove it to keep production running smoothly. While Bill's used this unique "motor agate" for some time now, its underlying Americana roots do suit the piece's role in our American showcase quite nicely.

Aside from the accent, the shape itself is a great example of Bill's approach to modern classics, with some Danish inspired softness in the cheeking of the bowl and the subtle definition to the transition, paired to the rather industrial lines found in the shaping of the stem base and overall streamlined presence of the form. In fact, with its extra dark, semi-matte palette and arrow-straight posture, it almost calls to mind the look of some vintage American sports car, full of potential energy and ready to burn rubber (or your favorite leaf).

While this isn't Bill's first foray into the world of morta pipes, his execution with the alternative medium is simply flawless here — with the block perfectly oriented so that the semi-petrified wood's dense, striated grain flows seamlessly from heel to shank end. That density of grain is matched well by the tight-knit pattern of the Fordite itself, likewise oriented so that the grain flows parallel to the accent's myriad colors. All in all, this is just a stunning piece from Bill — representative of both his signature style as well as the current, intrepid spirit of American artisanal pipe making as a whole.