J. Mouton: Sandblasted Poker with Silver Tobacco Pipe

Jason Mouton is an American artisan working out of Gueydan, Louisiana, where he crafts pipes with a distinctly American aesthetic, often reinterpreting classic shapes to emphasize plumpness at the fore. This Poker is an excellent example of that style, and it additionally showcases Mouton's skill in balancing this plumpness via a distinct slenderness through the aft side. Compared to more classical iterations of this shape, Mouton's take on the profile lends the bowl a reserved, Dublin-like flare to the softly domed and chamfered rim, resulting in an understated curvature about the walls, especially near the top. A flat, slanted heel supports the bowl and allows this pipe to sit stably on a flat surface, its resting posture urging forward dynamically and imbuing the silhouette with a jaunty character. The transition is raised, situated well above the heel but still on the lower bowl, and it gives way to a sleek, tapering shank that reaches out to meet a broad dome of hand-spun silver acting as a sturdy military mount for the swiftly tapering stem of hand-cut vulcanite. The military mount further enhances the practical sensibilities of this shape, while working together with the stummel's crisp, inky sandblast to offer a delightful Dress-like aesthetic. Light, handy, and handsome, this pipe will make the perfect travel companion or a great desk pipe.