Jess Chonowitsch: Sandblasted Brandy with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Jess Chonowitsch doesn't always use alternative materials to accent his pipes, but when he does, it's most often horn or bamboo. In the case of this Brandy, the Danish carver has extended the shank with three knuckles of the pale bamboo. The knuckles are consistently spaced, even in sequence with the stem base, which from a visual aspect acts as a fourth knuckle, seamlessly marrying the abbreviated stem with the shank.

Jess's iterations of the Brandy are typically of the more squat variety, but this one is especially so. With a plump base and gradual taper, the bowl slightly resembles that of a Prince, sitting comfortably in hand (or on a flat surface) and offering a chamber of considerable breadth. It's dressed in a conservative Danish-style sandblast, showing off concise ripples of ring grain while the dark stain contrasts starkly against the bamboo and polished, ruby stained rim. It's stunning work yet again from Chonowitsch, hewing closely to his shaping style of gentle curves and flowing lines.