Jared Coles: Smooth Tomato with Mammoth Tobacco Pipe

Jared Coles' appreciation for pipes runs deep, beginning in his early childhood as his grandfather was never without a pipe of his own, the memories of their time together punctuated by sweet smoke. In college, Coles was introduced to the world of artisan pipes and, subsequently, became obsessed with not only their form, but the manner of their construction, making pipes of his own after graduating with a degree in economics. Throughout this time he continued to explore the works of artisans, gaining a deeper passion for the art and expanding his appreciation for makers from around the world, all while working with his friend John Klose at their workshop J&J Pipes. During this time he benefited from instruction by both Todd Johnson and Jeff Gracik and, after the duo amicably parted ways, Coles continued his work, represented by this Tomato, benefiting from both his keen eye for shaping and his more than a decade of experience.

I've said it many times, but it bears repeating: Tomatoes are one of my favorite shapes. New renditions of the form always bring a smile to my face, though this piece really stunned me, as its deep bend and unique stance separate it from many of its subtler brethren. The saddle stem here is gently curved, given a stylized base that expands out in a hemispherical manner to meet a trim ring of mammoth at the shank end, with the rounded and inflated build doing well to match the girth of the shank itself. Said shank features a rather extreme verticality to it, angled sharply upward in a bold arc, expanding as it travels to its end and with a good deal of mass to its build. On the right side, seen first on the accent, there starts a firm ridgeline that runs the entire length of the shank, flowing into the transition and wrapping around to the bowl as well, creating a sense of structural balance in this otherwise soft shape. Said transition is quite tightly knit, as is to be expected with such a dramatically bent shank, but the curvature of the shank gives a bit of extra space, as does the angle of the bowl's travel upward.

The bowl is, to me, what makes the Tomato such an iconic, comforting shape, and this pipe does well to exemplify the plumpness and softness that make it so, with a rather high set waistline that pushes the walls of the bowl out and conform it to the hand wonderfully. It's here possessed of a very hearty build, with a good deal of emphasis placed on its substance so as not to detract from its presence in the face of its imposing shank, and it is thrust further into the forefront thanks to a lifted heel, raising its girth into prominence and allowing you to fully appreciate it. Dressing this piece is a vibrant auburn stain which sees flame grain wrapping the flanks in their entirety, as well as encircling the bowl, while, on the top and bottom, pinpricks of birdseye stand out in dense whorls, with the underside especially dense with the enchanting grain.