Chris Asteriou: Smooth Boxwood Calabash with Holly (56/17) Tobacco Pipe

This compact Calabash rendition from Chris Asteriou is the first of its kind we've encountered from the carver, supplanting gourd and meerschaum for polished, hollowed-out boxwood and a removable cap of pale holly inlaid with a briar chamber. Lending it a lenticular shank, the flanks of which initiate crisp ridges traveling to dissolve into the bowl, Chris's iteration further accentuates the shape's naturalesque curvature, while affording a more sprawling, gestural posture. The aforementioned compression of the shank also highlights the sense of taper at play, while also leading the eye simultaneously to the creamy holly chamber cap and slender mount. The use of boxwood here is an especially apt choice as well, further evoking the historical aesthetic of the old gourd Calabash. In addition to that, Chris opted to present it simply, with a smooth polish highlighting each ultra-fine line of grain and naturally darker striation. Highly recommended.

And if you're interested in learning the origins behind this stalwart shape-chart standard, be sure to check out my recent blog post, The Calabash Pipe: An Origin Story. The story behind it is almost as unique as the shape itself.