Dirk Heinemann: Sandblasted Cherrywood with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

While Dirk Heinemann is known for his experimental style and distinctive approach to pipe making, the German artisan never loses sight of the functionality and engineering required to make a pipe truly excel. This Cherrywood is a bit more reserved than what we're used to seeing from Heinemann, but it nevertheless showcases his aptitude for flowing lines, supple curves, and rich finishes.

Standing atop a flat, angled heel, the bowl of this piece takes on a subtle flare to a broad, softly inflated rim. The bowl's forward-ebbing posture coupled with the aforementioned flare lends the entire composition a dynamic posture in silhouette, accentuated in part by the shank-and-stem arrangement's languid curvature out back. The trim shank ebbs from the transition before quickly surrendering to seven knuckles of warm bamboo. The bamboo's bright complexion immediately livens the composition and offsets the form's otherwise reserved color palette. Dressed in a crisp sandblast, the stummel reveals stacks of growth rings that radiate up the flanks of the bowl.