Scott Thile: Smooth Bent Bulldog with Boxwood (OP2) (527) Tobacco Pipe

Scott Thile got his start in pipe making like many before him, with a DIY pipe kit. Thile's skills began to grow through trial and error, visiting pipemakersforum.com, and inspiration from other American pipe makers. Thile's shapes tend to err towards the traditional, as he expertly crafts lots of classics like Bulldogs and Dublins, which make wonderful canvases for his warm smooth finishes and detailed sandblasts. Scott Thile once described his pipe making aesthetic as such, "the Danish neoclassics as interpreted by the North American greats." It's safe to say he can now count himself among those greats.

This bent Bulldog by Scott Thile features an upright bowl with a pronounced taper above and below the crisp waistline and carved beadlines, giving this shape a particularly conical profile. Out back, the diamond shank and cheeked transition showcase more of Thile's exquisite line work, while the ridges curve upwards in a muscular, gestural arc. The sharp lines flow onto the shank, which features a thick boxwood accent on the stem base, providing a flourish of bright blonde hues. In contrast, the stummel is dressed in a classic chestnut stain, highlighting thick streaks of flame grain that radiate upward from the heel and sweep down the facets of the diamond shank, while the rim and underside showcase abundant swirls of birdseye. Topping things off, the jet-black vulcanite stem completes the classic appearance of this pipe and provides a comfortable clench.