Trey Rice: Sandblasted Acorn with Silver Tobacco Pipe

After picking up pipe smoking in college, Trey Rice faced a dilemma — he wanted to smoke artisan pipes but could not afford them. So, Rice decided to take matters into his own hands by making artisan pipes himself. Now a polished pipe maker, Rice crafts pipes outside of Fort Worth, Texas, primarily drawing on Danish, English, and American pipe making traditions for inspiration. Rice makes many classic, recognizable shapes and accents them with a variety of materials such as bamboo, boxwood, horn, and his own silverwork.

This Acorn by Trey Rice is a rather substantial rendition of the shape. Marked by a lengthy shank, it flares outwards from the transition to the shank face, which showcases Rice's exquisite silverwork in the form of a trim silver ring. Moreover, the shank gently bends upward as it flows to the junction, where the abbreviated saddle stem arcs down, creating a subtly sinuous profile that contributes a palpable dynamism to the form. At the fore, the pert Acorn bowl exudes organic appeal and showcases supple shaping, namely the inflated rim and rounded, protruding heel. The flared walls are highlighted by the Burgundy sandblast that dresses this piece, exposing a striking array of concentric growth rings that crest just below the rim. An eminently natural pipe, this Acorn will surely entice any pipe smoker who appreciates crisp, curvaceous lines and rustic aesthetics.