Doctor's: Partially Sandblasted Horn with Bamboo and Tulipwood (Double Flash) Tobacco Pipe

Roman Kovalev is a Russian carver with a particularly unique background. He spent many years as a pediatric neurologist, and during that time, he smoked hundreds of pipes from around the world. He became obsessed with the artistry and functionality of the craft, paying close attention to how a pipe looked and smoked. With the same ferocity and enthusiasm that led to his success as a race car builder and distillery owner, Kovalev began fashioning pieces under the Doctor's Pipes name, a nod to his previous profession. His work showcases a penchant for organic, soft-featured shapes and the utilization of nontraditional accent materials, such as wildly shaped bamboo and other exotic hardwoods.

A tight-knit composition, this Horn measures less than five inches long, making it perfect for on-the-go smoking, especially when considering the deeply bent shank-and-stem arrangement. Though rather abbreviated in terms of length, this piece retains a muscular appearance and a reassuring in-hand presence, with the bowl's thick, insulating walls filling the palm with girth. The bowl flares from its lifted heel to its broad rim, and as it does, it takes on a subtle forward cant that keeps the shape looking active and dynamic in profile. A rugged, accordion-like ferrule of bamboo extends the shank and lends a touch of organic flair to the composition. Additionally, the dense grasses' warm hues complement the stummel's sunny stain. While a glossy smooth finish commends the bulk of the stummel, an earthy sandblast dresses the rim and provides a touch of tactile contrast to the composition.