Bill Shalosky: Sandblasted Acorn with Bamboo and Bakelite (561) Tobacco Pipe

American carver Bill Shalosky boasts years of experience in the craft, having carved pipes for BriarWorks, Smoker's Haven, and Chheda Pipes. When asked about his influences, Shalosky points to "every pipe ever made," whether produced by a factory or an artisan, which makes sense when considering the sheer breadth and diversity of his portfolio. This Acorn is a fine example of his work and finds the American carver working in a more naturalistic style.

Stocky and muscular, the bowl of this piece features the form's characteristic flared rim, high-set waistline, and sharply defined heel, which protrudes past the start of the transition. The shank flares away from the bowl before giving way to three knuckles of warm bamboo. Each node of the organic material is more or less evenly spaced, creating a visual rhythm from the transition to the shoulders of the saddle stem. The mouthpiece here is composed of Bakelite — a heat-resistant plastic prized by pipe makers for its durability and colorful appearance — and its sky blue hues here offer a dose of vibrancy to the pipe's otherwise subdued palette. A crisp, earthy sandblast dresses the stummel and coaxes out rippling waves of growth rings across either flank of the bowl, providing further visual and textural intrigue.