Tom Eltang: Smooth Elephant's Foot with Horn (Snail) Tobacco Pipe

Tom Eltang's influence on the world of pipe making is unquestionable, and his name is often brought up by younger pipe makers as a pivotal influence. With almost 50 years of experience and a prolific work ethic, the Danish artisan produces shapes both classic and unique with equal skill and brings that talent to bear here with a stunning Elephant's Foot. The shape was first made by the late Swedish carving legend Bo Nordh, whose devotion to and skill in reading briar grain were remarkable. Tom creates the shape wonderfully in this rendition and even includes another of Nordh's favorite design elements, a horn accent.

An Elephant's Foot is all about finding a perfect block of briar for the shape, reading it correctly, and shaping it with enough skill to bring out the grain on a versatile arrangement of surfaces. Tom has done so masterfully, using a warm auburn stain and smooth finish to show off horizontal grain that runs with, not across the length of the pipe. Tight striations race across the entire paneled circumference of the foot and up the shank, while the ample rounded fore-end and towering aft surface are both resplendent with tight clusters of birdseye.

The upswept shank is seamlessly joined with horn, displaying coffee and cream hues as it flares to meet the stem. Tom shaped the stem by hand from a single vulcanite rod, incorporating a thin expansion ring and bending the mouthpiece slightly downward in a promise of comfortable posture and effortless draw. The fit and finish of this pipe are exemplary, and Tom has awarded it his prestigious Snail grade, an honor often reserved for pieces with outstanding grain quality and orientation.