Jared Coles: Sandblasted Bent Brandy with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Pipes have been a part of Jared Coles' life since he could remember, so smoking them came naturally to him. During his junior year of college, he discovered the online pipe world, and shortly thereafter he stumbled upon artisan pipes, something which he was immediately struck with, so much so that he took up pipe carving himself, inspired by the works of artisans from around the world. In his early years, Coles partnered with fellow pipe maker John Klose to form J&J Pipes, with the duo benefiting from instruction by both Todd Johnson and Jeff Gracik, imbuing Jared with a deep appreciation for pipe making styles from around the world, though Coles was particularly taken with the Danish and Japanese schools. In 2016 the pair went their separate ways, striking out on their own in order to pursue separate careers as individual artisans, with Coles producing pieces that both show his inspiration, but also represent his own personal style, pieces such as this bent Brandy.

Throughout his portfolio, we've only ever seen one other bent Brandy from Jared, though this was in 2018, making this pipe quite special, especially as it is vastly different from the other we have seen, being squatter and shorter of bowl, and much less vertical in the shank and stem. The shank here is very trim, flicking up slightly in its travel before meeting a stretch of thick bamboo, with the two knuckles flaring naturally as they ebb outward, the left flank featuring a divot in the dense grass that the shank visually extends. A saddle stem is married to the bamboo here, with an expansion ring acting as its base, stylistically continuing the rhythm of the bamboo's knuckles and taking a demure downturn at the bit which adds a touch of poise to the pipe, as well as gives it a more comfortable smoking posture. The bowl here is something of a fusion of the Apple and Brandy shapes, though certainly with more of the latter, and showcases a plump, supple form with a low-set waistline which expands very nicely in order to allow the fingers a fantastic surface to grasp. This then tapers gently to the rim, traveling only a short way before reaching it, urging forward very slightly while on its path. Resting upon a gesturally lifted heel, the bowl is thrust into prominence, magnifying the visual weight by way of the more lithe shank and stem. A crisp, dark, chestnut-hued sandblast dresses the briar here, revealing dense stacks of ring grain that undulate as they ascend up the bowl from the heel, the dark hue contrasted vibrantly by the bamboo's lighter coloration.