Scott Thile: Smooth Bent Dublin (FH) (567) Tobacco Pipe

In addition to being an accomplished musician and a piano tuner, Scott Thile is also a talented pipe maker, and a self-taught one at that. Thile has had a deep love and admiration for pipes since the age of 16, when he bought his very first piece. His admiration for pipes is evident in each of his designs. This bent Dublin showcases Thile's unique style, which, according to him, is inspired by "The Danish neoclassics as interpreted by the North American greats."

The bent Dublin is a shape Thile has returned to numerous times, and it's easy to see why: it's the perfect design to showcase his elegant line work and penchant for fluid curves. Almost Rhodesian-like in its build, the bowl here flares from its firm heel to its broad, ridgeline-wrapped rim, and as it does, it takes on a subtle forward cant, which, coupled with the shank and stem's rearward curl, lends the entire composition a dynamic appearance in profile. Dressed in an auburn smooth finish, this piece offers a healthy showing of flame grain on either flank of the bowl.