Smooth Skater (Four Hearts) (2022) Tobacco Pipe

A third-generation artisan, Federico Becker comes from a long line of pipe makers. The Becker workshop was founded in 1974 and Federico, having learned from his father and grandfather before him, currently mans the workshop, producing pipes marked by crisp shaping and rakish, angular silhouettes. This Skater is one such piece, featuring a distinctly "Becker" heel that's exceptionally pointy.

The walls of the bowl rise from the crisply pointed heel with almost arrow-straight posture, maintaining the pipe's clean, streamlined appearance. Out back, both the shank and stem take on a steady, consistent taper from the transition to the button while angling ever-so-slightly downward. The stem is fashioned from rich cumberland, which handsomely plays off of the stummel's pale, smooth finish for a striking dose of contrast. Stunning grain abounds throughout the stummel, with tight tendrils of flame grain climbing the walls of the bowl and intersecting with subtle undulations of ring grain, while bewitching birdseye swirls around the rim and heel of the bowl.