Sandblasted Ramses with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

Formerly known as the American Pipe Making Exposition, our annual Global Pipe Making Exposition features contributions from some of the world's foremost artisans, all united around a central theme. One of the most exciting events of the year for carvers, smokers, and enthusiasts of briar alike, the Global Exposition acts not only as a showcase for the immense talent of these artisans but as a focus for the boundless creativity that these masters of the art possess. For 2026, the theme of our Expo is "The Art of the Sandblast," celebrating the artistry and craftsmanship behind one of the most meticulous finishing techniques in pipe making. Through the sandblast, these artisans transform the natural grain of briar into textured works of art, highlighting the unique character of each block and demonstrating the artistry of the technique.

Tine Balleby wasn't initially sure that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father, Kurt, and become a pipe maker. He encouraged her to at least give it a try, though, and eventually, Tine fell in love with the craft. Her father has been an invaluable help in forming her own style, but Tine has also drawn inspiration from Bo Nordh in her shaping and she is constantly finding inspiration in the works of other artisans. Unwavering attention to detail is a particular trait that elevates her work, and she uses a wide variety of materials as accents to take her pieces beyond mere briar and vulcanite. Tine's submission for this year's Expo is a classic shape of Bo Nordh's conception — the Ramses, noted for its stummel consisting of an Egg-like bowl pushing out horizontally from a thin, lightly curved base that runs longer than the aft of the bowl.

The bowl of Tine's Ramses is marked by excellent vertical ring grain that decorates both flanks with enough depth and height that it can be easily followed by both eye and fingertip despite the dark stain. Such is the brilliance of the birdseye on the bottom of the base that it, too, is easily observed and appreciated through the stain, which Tine offset brilliantly with a light tan accent of boxwood at the very top of the base. The accent holds a bent vulcanite stem that tapers lightly from a single expansion ring just above the boxwood. Tine's eye for good grain and precision with the sandblast makes this such a superlative specimen of Bo Nordh's Ramses, and her use of boxwood takes this piece's color palette to a different level by allowing the sleekness of the stain and stem to contrast with the accent. It's a subtle touch, but one that shows Tine's prowess with aesthetics in addition to sandblasting.