Benni Jorgensen: Partially Sandblasted Acorn (40th Anniversary) Tobacco Pipe

The Swan grade is Benni Jorgensen's highest designation, reserved only for those pieces that he considers exceptional in craftsmanship as well as quality of briar. As such, Jorgensen usually reserves the prestigious appellation for smooth finished pipes; however, he has given the grade to sandblasted pieces before. It's a relatively rare occurrence to see a sandblasted Swan grade piece, making this Acorn offering even more special but judging from the grain and shaping, it makes perfect sense why Benni felt this composition deserved the high honor.

While the sandblast is remarkably light in terms of depth it's no less stunning as ripples of undulating grain creep up the bowl's flanks and along the sides of the shank. The fiery contrast stain beautifully highlights the subtle nuances of the briar's grain, making the patterns even more visually captivating. However, what grabbed my attention on this piece is the precise line work and how it informs much of the piece's execution. The shank's ridgelines emerge from the shank face as two separate elements before merging into a single line along the bowl's lower fore, gradually curling upward to meet the chamfered rim. I particularly admire how the entire underside of the shank has been left smooth, further allowing the ridgeline to stand out both visually and texturally. A magnificent piece from Benni that demonstrates his ability to explore shapes in fresh, exciting ways and is certainly deserving of its distinguished Swan stamp.