Bill Shalosky: Smooth Blowfish (575) Tobacco Pipe

Bill Shalosky's formal education saw him earn a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from the Columbus College of Art and Design, his background in bowl turning and dabbling in clay pipe making seeing him doing repairs at the Smokers' Haven shop. Before long he had moved on to crafting their handmade series of pipes. Shalosky takes inspiration from pipe making schools the world over, making it appropriate that he would craft a Blowfish, a shape with Japanese roots. Of the three we've previously received from Shalosky, this is the most compact, but also one of the most robust, with a tall bowl and a great deal of substance packed into its petite frame.

The distinctive panels that define contemporary Blowfish renditions are present here in a slightly altered form than we're used to seeing, though Shalosky has been known to alter the confines of the profile in the past. Here, rather than simply defining the flanks of the bowl, the two panels wrap around the entire length of the stummel, framing each flank entirely while only the right side of the bowl is outlined with a ridge. All of the lines here flow beautifully and interact with each other effortlessly, defining a midsection which tapers the entirety of the stummel toward the left flank, ceasing at that side's ridge. Despite the ample firmness of the stummel's ridges, the flanks proper that are defined by them are possessed of a thorough plumpness and a fullness of form that keeps the feel in hand quite comfortable. The transition is rather tight and guides the flank in its upward-flicking travel to meet the stem, its silhouette flaring out before the underside curls up to meet the top side, creating a paneled shank face that continues the fluidity of this piece's lines. A rigid expansion ring at the stem's base stylistically mirrors the hard edge of the ridgelines while a warm chestnut stain dresses the briar, revealing wrapping cross grain that follows the middle precisely and vast plains of birdseye on either flank.