Tine Balleby: Smooth Rhodesian with Mammoth Tobacco Pipe

Having grown up around pipe making, Tine Balleby has a deep appreciation for the craft and instinct for what makes a pipe both beautiful and functional. Though a certain amount of her creative inspiration comes from her father, esteemed artisan Kurt Balleby, Tine possesses a master of the craft that's singularly her own, and that prowess is immediately obvious when considering this Rhodesian.

Traditionally speaking, the Bulldog and Rhodesian are similar shapes differentiated by shank, with the former possessing a diamond shank and the latter offering a round one. Tine Balleby, however, imbues even her most supple Rhodesian designs with a structural character, differentiating the two forms by bowl. Here, that structure comes in the form of two crisp panels, one on either side of the ovoid shank. These panels' accompanying ridgelines flow across the length of the shank: the upper lines terminating at the transition, while lower lines stretch into the bowl's underside and frame the heel. From this heel, the bowl grows thick walls that flare to a broad waist encircled by twin beadlines. The position of these beadlines mark this piece as a Rhodesian, as Balleby's Bulldogs possesses low-set beadlines followed by a lengthy upward taper, whereas the taper on this Rhodesian is abbreviated, the bowl's upper walls taking on a short, domed arc to a gently chamfered rim. Like all of Tine's pipes, this piece offers a wealth of attractive grain, with tight tendrils of flame grain and clusters of birdseye populating the stummel, all highlighted by a warm smooth finish. A mammoth accent further distinguishes this attractive design, its white hues complementing the pipe's bright complexion.