Tom Eltang: Smooth Apple with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Tom Eltang knew when he was a child that he wanted to be a pipe maker. At age 16, he apprenticed to Anne Julie, and his career in pipe making began. After working with Julie for three years, he moved onto the Pipe Dan workshop and later to Stanwell. Then Eltang set out on his own in 1980, and has crafted pipes under his name ever since. Based in a workshop in Copenhagen, Eltang produces nearly any shape one can think of and utilizes myriad finishes. Although Eltang's catalog of pipes is vast, they are all united by his classic Danish style.

This Apple by Tom Eltang is neatly separated into three distinct elements: briar bowl, bamboo shank, and vulcanite stem. The bowl is veritably plump, with a shapely waist that tapers dramatically to a trim rim, offering a robust in-hand feel. Furthermore, a petite briar shank extends out of the transition and flows into a lengthy stretch of bamboo, the arrow-straight stalk imbuing the piece with organic ruggedness. At the terminus is a saddle stem fashioned from jet-black vulcanite, its sleek form providing a comfortable clench and an understated complement to the blonde hues of the bamboo. Additionally, the bowl is dressed in a rich chestnut stain, highlighting swaths of tightly-packed birdseye on the flanks and sweeping cross grain along the fore and aft. Overall, this Apple is a testament to Tom Eltang's pipe-making expertise, as he seamlessly combines three elements disparate in color, material, and shape into a exquisitely balanced composition.