Tom Eltang: Rusticated Poker Tobacco Pipe

Tom Eltang's portfolio is impressively varied, but his most oft-seen works comprise pipes crafted in the Danish Functionalist tradition, with this particular Poker design representing his most recognizable signature shape. Reserved and rather Spartan, this design is an archetypal rendition of the classic shape, though it's one whose proportions are considerably more gracile than many takes on the outline, its silhouette granted an impressive air of dynamism thanks to the heel's agile slant. This slant supports the walls as they rise cylindrically to a plump, inflated rim, possessed of an understated fullness that keeps the feel in hand comfortable while contributing to an exceptionally light weight. A wide transition pairs the shank to the bowl at a point slightly above the heel, highlighting the shank's gentle lift as it extends to meet a sleek saddle stem of black vulcanite. The understated, dynamic look of this pipe has contributed to its wild success within Tom's portfolio, and it's seen here dressed in the Danish artisan's signature rustication and an inky stain.