Tom Eltang: Smooth Eskimo Tobacco Pipe

Developing a signature shape is a rare milestone in a pipe maker's career; it requires not only artistic creativity but also widespread recognition across the the industry — to the extent that when the shape is rendered by other carvers, it's still associated and recognized as one's signature. In some cases, like that of Sixten Ivarsson's, a signature shape can be a distinctive rendition of an already established shape, such as his Peewit interpretation of the Acorn. In other cases, like with Bo Nordh, a completely new form is developed — the Ballerina and Elephant's Foot coming to mind in particular. Tom Eltang is one such carver in a short list of artisans with a signature shape, and he boasts more than one: His Poker and Arne Jacobsen designs are immediately recognizable, as are his more singular Tubos, Oscar, and Oliphant forms.

The Eskimo is one such signature Eltang shape, and it's one that draws inspiration from one of Sixten's signature shapes: the Ukulele. That design is an artistic interpretation of the classic Diplomat, combining a broad, Tomato-like bowl with an oval shank for an aerial profile that resembles the shape's namesake. Similarly, Tom's Eskimo features a squat bowl and broad shape, but instead of Tomato or Diplomat leanings, the Danish artisan draws from the traditional Bulldog. As such, this pipe presents a crisply beadlined bowl with a lower flare and upward taper toward the rim. Most dramatic, though, is how the design changes based on the viewer's vantage point. In profile, the low-set shank reveals a sleek, streamlined disposition, contrasted by the bowl's more stocky demeanor; from above, however, the shank's breadth dominated the form, providing a generous canvas for stunning grain. Here, birdseye saturates that canvas in dizzying array, all highlighted by Tom's superlative finishing work before transitioning into a hand-cut stem of vulcanite for superior smoking comfort.