J. Alan: Partially Sandblasted Fugu (2186) Tobacco Pipe

J. Alan pipes are handmade in San Diego, California by Jeff Gracik, the artisan imbuing his work with a distinctly Danish aesthetic while hewing close to the style of the American masters, expertly balancing plump curves with robust musculature. This Fugu is a good example of that style, its curvature being focused on the silhouette and roundly defined by a complex, wrapping ridgeline through the right side of the stummel. Additionally, this is a stout rendition of the modern classic shape, presenting a substantial degree of heft through the briar that primarily manifests as a plump thickness at the bowl. All this muscularity is smartly contrasted by the slim arc of the saddle stem: a demure curve of black vulcanite whose base nestles into the face of the shank and makes a subdued flare out to the bit. This understated bend starts the pipe's gradual S-curve, as the shank rises out of the transition and curves gently to meet the stem, the fluid heel maintaining the trajectory of the shank's underside with ease. Said heel lifts slightly at the fore and holds the bowl in a dynamic forward cant, drawing the eye to the fore and the walls' iconic pair of asymmetrical panels.

At the right side of the stummel, the first panel is formed at the shank, where a raised point at the upper left side of the face splits into a pair of ridges, one descending swiftly and lining the entire underside, while the other starts an eye-catching journey across the left flank. This ridge makes a lengthy arc that gets closer to the lower ridge consistently until reaching the transition, where the top ridge rises swiftly upward and curls around the aft side of the bowl's right flank. Both ridges meet at the rim and define its outer edge before forming a smaller, less pronounced panel at the left side of the bowl, completing the iconic features of the shape in a unique fashion. The pipe's finish highlights the uniqueness of the shape, as nearly its entire midsection is dressed in an inky sandblast that's contrasted by the smooth texture of the bowl's panels. Both panels reveal a dense, swirling pattern of birdseye, while the blasted portions showcase a rippling series of growth rings.