Bill Shalosky: Sandblasted Volcano with Bakelite (623) Tobacco Pipe

The Volcano is a shape that lends itself well to a variety of interpretations based on each individual carver's personal creativity. More classic, standard designs, like the Billiard, are fairly strict in their defining characteristics, allowing for diversity mostly in their relative proportions and finishes, but the Volcano, defined only by its tapered bowl and flattened underside, encourages a multitude of unique shaping cues — from the flowing, Danish-style approach of carvers like Peter Heding and Kent Rasmussen, to the more structured, architectural approach of Smio Satou.

The style of this rendition from Bill Shalosky is one we've seen the American carver fashion a number of times in the past. Like many of Bill's pipes, it pares the form down to its defining aspects, focusing on bringing form and line center stage without the need for dramatic flourishes. At its root, this piece is more akin to Danish iterations — the profile consistent and sinuous through the curled transition and forward-urging bowl. Accenting this genteel disposition, though, is the flattened underside and resulting ridgeline running down the flanks and across the bowl's fore, effectively cutting short the bowl's lower section. By extending the bottom panel this far into the bowl, Shalosky accentuates the silhouette's forward momentum which belies this piece's rather muscular, palm-filling proportions. A crisp, natural sandblast dresses the stummel, showcasing a wealth of rippling growth rings cascading down the flanks, while a stem of bright blue Bakelite adds a pleasing touch of contrast.