David Huber: Smooth Volcano (4519) Tobacco Pipe

The Volcano is a shape that offers endless creative opportunities to artisan pipe makers and when someone as imaginative as David Huber produces a rendition, it's bound to be something spectacular. On this example, a pair of firm ridgelines emerge from the shank face, sloping downward as they work their way toward the transition and wrap around the bowl's broad base. Below the ridgelines, the base is softly rounded, yet maintains enough balance to sit on flat surfaces, rocking back and forth but never falling over. The bowl's flanks subtly taper from the base up toward the rim, while the transition sits low, providing enough room for the thumb to comfortably drape over before the abbreviated shank quickly flares outward.

The grain orientation undoubtedly informed the shaping of this design, Huber expertly reading the briar block to maximize its visual potential. Tight streaks of straight grain wrap around the bowl's surface, with whorls of captivating birdseye dominating the entire underside. Free of any unnecessary adornments, David has allowed the shaping and grain to take center stage but has shaped the stem base to mimic the brass inset ring along the shank face.