Scott Thile: Smooth Bent Apple with Ivorite (FH) (601) Tobacco Pipe

American artisan Scott Thile is an experienced woodworker whose shaping style is steeped in the rich tradition of the American Renaissance. This bent Apple is a fluid and subtly sinuous take on the classic chart-standard shape, one that thoroughly stylizes its outline with firm edges and crisp panels. The transition is wide, with ample space to drape a digit if necessary, and it gives way to a strikingly thick shank, one whose lower lines extend to subsume the heel before tapering subtly to its end. This shank has been framed by a quartet of panels in rectangular fashion, firming up the look of the aft side significantly as its four ridges curl up and into a domed accent ring of pale Ivorite. This accent marks the junction to a stylish, tapering stem of black acrylic complete with a broad, domed expansion ring at its base, the comparatively soft lines drawing attention toward the negative space at the junction before the stem's bit makes a slight downturn for comfortable smoking. Up front, the bowl is held aloft by the shank, and its heel follows the lines of this shank quite exactly, sweeping almost immediately into the low-set waist. The walls of the bowl itself are delightfully plump and amply curvaceous, making for a comfortable feel in hand and providing plenty of space to showcase this pipe's warm, rich, mahogany-tinged smooth finish. Said finish reveals dense streaks of flame lining the shank and wrapping around the bowl, while the underside is covered in swirls of birdseye.