Becker: Sandblasted Pot (Two Clubs) Tobacco Pipe

A third-generation pipe maker, Federico Becker continues the shaping tradition established in the 1970s by his grandfather and father, melding their carving styles with his own. The Pot has become something of a signature design for the Italian carver, the jutting, pointed heel and clean lines an extension of the shank's underside. Lightweight, crisp, and angular, this piece displays a bit more thickness through the transition and shank than some renditions of the same shape, yet maintains a gradual taper through the stem to the bit. It's wearing a dark sandblast that shows off handsome grain patterns beneath, while the smooth rim and a trim ring of briar at the shank end lend a bit of contrast. Said rim boasts a mahogany hue that does well to highlight fetching whorls of birdseye.