J. Alan: Smooth Long Shank Bent Dublin (2014) Tobacco Pipe

Crafted by Jeff Gracik in San Diego, California, J. Alan pipes are among the most highly regarded artisan pipes in the United States and the world at large. His shaping style highlights the supple curves of the Danish school while staying true to the evocative and sometimes sculptural designs of the American revival. This bent Dublin is a particularly excellent piece from Gracik, displaying influence from the Danish and Japanese pipe making traditions.

The most apparent feature of this pipe, at a glance, is its unique silhouette, made up of a forward-urging, angular bowl that rests on a sharp heel at the fore of a semi-paneled shank. It's a sleek piece from the side, but when viewed from above, it becomes clear that pipe is also very broad, with the aforementioned shank being particularly wide. The bowl itself displays a strong cant, as well as a slightly stretched cross-section, drawing the domed rim out at the fore and aft. Said bowl rests on a lifted heel, drawn to a point, while the shank's broad expanse is bordered by a paneled sections on the flanks, delineated by ridgelines which begin at the bowl's nether regions and stretch gracefully to meet a hand-cut vulcanite saddle stem, comfortably bent. The unique mix of broad planes and sharp corners in this design allow it to bridge the gap between organic curves and angular symmetry to impressive effect. Dressed in a rich auburn stain, the grain on display is among the best a pipe maker could wish for, with impeccable straight and flame grain around the bowl and shank panels, with dense birdseye at the rim, heel, and shank, all perfectly oriented with the stummel's shaping.