David Huber: Sandblasted Duck Egg (2520) Tobacco Pipe

A design commonly seen in David Huber's portfolio is his Razor Egg renditions, essentially a bent Egg with a vertically compressed shank — resulting in a cats eye-like cross section, with crisp ridgelines above and below. Dubbed "Duck's Egg" by the American carver, this bent Egg version is decidedly different: Instead of juxtaposing hard and soft lines, Huber focuses on substance and dramatic proportions, offering a chubby, hearty design that remains extremely compact in overall length. The shank is quite abbreviated and stout, continuing the voluptuous presence initiated by the bowl's curvature. The stummel's robustness is further accentuated by David's use of a sleek and trim stem, fitted via a push-style tenon into a mortise ringed by reinforcing brass. Such a stem style draws focus to the broad expanse of the shank face, compared to stems whose width runs flush with the shank's edges. A lesson on bold proportions in a compact size, this piece is finished in a rustic sandblast and contrast stain for visual appeal and rugged texture in hand.