Alex Florov: Sandblasted Danish Retro Stack Tobacco Pipe

Born and raised in Moscow, where his first career was as a furniture restorer, Alex Florov moved to the U.S. where he pursued a career in industrial design prior to taking on the pipe-making world in 2004. A keen eye for detail along with expert craftsmanship is evident in his work, and he's known for creating imaginative, sculptural pipes along with more reserved, classic designs, the latter of which is presented here.

This sleek Stack pays homage to the vintage Danish Pipe-Dan and Kriswill shapes of yesteryear. A tall, slender Egg-like bowl displays a narrow, tapered rim and defined, heel spur beneath. Presenting quite the lithe, almost "check mark" profile from those earlier designs, this lightweight piece then elegantly tapers to the bit in back, the shank and stem ebbing from the easy transition in an almost Prince-like downward turn. Rife with a gentle flow of line and supple curvature, this Danish-defined pipe is dressed in a well-executed, low-profile dark sandblast that does well to showcase the briar's growth rings and flame grain, while the gracefully configured vulcanite mouthpiece echoes those black tones. The dark colors lend further refinement, resulting in a rather formal palette.