Scott Thile: Smooth Bent Dublin (FH) (246) Tobacco Pipe

This Scott Thile smooth bent Dublin is arguably the most remarkable pipe in one of the most remarkable debuts that I recall in ages. Undeniably elegant, immaculately executed and boasting a grain that could shake the metaphorical Pillars of Heaven, this briar hits the trifecta of collecting in a grand manner

Whether in the paw, or simply basking on my desk, there is a hard-to-define (but impossible to ignore) sense of the substantial that emanates from this presentation. It's not a simple matter of generosity of size (Scott didn't skimp on the briar during the creation of the dauntingly delightful Dublin), but I have encountered many a larger, nicely crafted Dublin that didn't exhibit this level of "presence". The subtle ridges that appear on the top and bottom of the shank differ slightly in execution; with the standard form of the former being answered by an elongated, spear-like contour in the latter, and Thile's sense of compositional balance is so acute, that the arc of the softly domed rim is matched within minutes of degrees to the top arc of the shank (now that's intent!). To describe the quality of the grain on this Dublin as "impressive" would be akin to referring to da Vinci's Mona Lisa as a "decent portrait". At this price point, I can't see how you could possibly go wrong.