Alexander Hasty: Sandblasted Bent Egg with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

Alexander Hasty's start in the pipe world was quite pure, noble even, as he began with the simple goal of making a smoking pipe for himself. He was educated at first through the resource that is the internet, and lots of practice, later being mentored by other pipe makers, but is now a college graduate and established artisan in his own right. This bent Egg shape is an oft-seen design from him, showing his inspirations readily through its subtle Danish styling and smooth, soft lines. At under five inches long, this piece is quite the compact one, able to easily slip into a pocket should you wish, and quite a comfortable clencher as well. A trim saddle stem at the rear is possessed of a demure curvature, ebbing out of a shank face adorned with a plump ring of boxwood, its pale hues strikingly contrasting the inky sandblast of the stummel and the jet black vulcanite saddle stem it touches. The shank proper maintains a consistent width throughout its travel upward, ebbing out of the transition languidly, meeting the bowl with an understated cheeking. The unifying aspect of this cheeking gives the underside a consistent flow from the shank end, with the lifted heel feeling like an extension of the shank itself, terminating at an expanded and low-set waistline. Said waist offers a lovely place to wrap the fingers and serves to begin the slow taper to the rim, with the fore of the bowl pressed in less that the aft, giving the entire bowl a sort of easy forward momentum which keeps the eyes on the bowl. The aforementioned inky sandblast on the stummel reveals some very nice concentric ring grain that ripples up the bowl from the heel, with textural flame grain striating all around, the stain offering a classic, traditional palette.