Il Duca: Sandblasted Canadian (B) Tobacco Pipe

It's not often that Max Rimensi of Il Duca pipes crafts Canadians, though when he does they always showcase his measured, highly individual shaping style, one which resulted from years of studying pipes and crafting his own. This particular interpretation of the classic shape strikes me as quite Danish, with a subtle softness about much of its build, and with an understated, yet practical elegance that keeps me gazing at it in delight. The shank and stem are ovoid, according to the classic shape's defining characteristics, though they have been compressed quite a bit in comparison to what I would expect, giving the impression of a pencil-shank in profile, though, aerially, it's actually quite robust, and the flanks here create a pair of soft ridgelines that visually flow through the transition and wrap around the base of the bowl in an excellent utilization of implied lines.

The bowl here is quite proud and upright, standing on a very softly lifted heel that pushes it into further prominence just a touch, and additionally creates a low-set waistline which starts a steep, slow taper to the rim, though this is most prominent at the aft side. The proportions here are extremely well balanced, with the lengthiness of the shank and stem not drawing attention away from the bowl due to their own easy taper and extremely low-profile. A crisp sandblast dresses the briar here, revealing tightly stacked ring grain rippling up the surface of the bowl, while the vibrant contrast stain Rimensi has utilized here showcases dark flame grain flicking up across the ruddy base.