Tine Balleby: Sandblasted Rhodesian Tobacco Pipe

Tine Balleby's shaping style hews closely to that of her father, Kurt, with a focus on compact, muscular pipes that display an impressive degree of precision and often showcase sharp, geometrical paneling. The Rhodesian and the Bulldog are similar shapes, usually differentiated solely by the construction of the shank, with the former displaying a round shank and the latter a diamond-shaped one. Within the Ballebys' portfolio, however, the difference lies in the bowl, this take on the Rhodesian showcasing both Tine and Kurt's singular imagining of the profile. A wide transition here gives way to a diamond-shaped shank, one carved in a striking, compressed configuration that slenderizes it in silhouette and enhances the sleek look of the black vulcanite saddle stem to which it is paired. At the flanks of the shank, rather than carving a single ridgeline that either dissipates at the transition or continues through the sides of the bowl, Tine has carved this pipe to include twin ridges that flank an extremely thin panel. The top ridges of this panel meet the bowl and evaporate, though the bottom two continue through the stummel and come to rest just above the heel, where a subtle hollowing accentuates the curves of the bowl as its walls start a measured flare. Said flare starts at a firm heel, lined by the lowest ridge on the diamond shank, and terminates at a pair of high-set beadlines that denote both the bowl's waist and its subsequent taper to a chamfered rim. These beadlines also mark this pipe as a Rhodesian, as Balleby Bulldogs boast very low-set beadlines and a long taper to the rim. At less than five inches long, this compact pipe is comfortable and handy, its stummel offering plenty of space to showcase a crisp, inky sandblast and the wealth of handsome grain it reveals.