Trey Rice: Smooth Peewit with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

While in college, Trey Rice was introduced to pipes and pipe smoking, becoming instantly enamored with the hobby. Being a poor college student, Rice couldn't afford the artisan pipes that captured his eye, but his background in woodworking enabled him to be able to craft pieces for himself. Since then, Rice has continued to hone his skills, drawing inspiration from other North American carvers and cultivating a style that prioritizes clean line work and functionality above all else.

The Peewit shape was originally pioneered by Sixten Ivarsson, who is widely considered the grandfather of artisan pipe making. Here, Rice perfectly captures the form's defining traits, namely the soft and supple, Acorn-like bowl, which here flares form its rearward slanted heel to its broad, rounded rim. The bowl's elegant contours coupled with its forward-ebbing posture immediately capture the eye and lend the entire form a dynamic and attractive silhouette. From the rear of the bowl, a trim shank emerges before quickly succumbing to three knuckles of vibrant bamboo. Each knuckle of the aforementioned bamboo is evenly spaced from the transition to the shoulders of the saddle stem, fostering a visual harmony across the aft side of the composition. A smoky smooth finish dresses the stummel and highlights a gorgeous mixture of cross grain and birdseye around the bowl.