Jared Coles: Smooth Stallion with Orangewood Tobacco Pipe

Jared Coles discovered the world of high grade pipes when studying at college, and has been obsessed ever since. Coles and his friend John Klose founded J&J pipes to much success, but they amicably parted several years later to achieve their own personal artistic visions. Coles draws significant inspiration from the Japanese school, particularly admiring Kei-ichi Gotoh and Hiroyuki Tokutomi, while also receiving advice and instruction from American greats Todd Johnson and Jeff Gracik. Coles crafts everything from exotic Freehands to shape-chart standards, and uses a variety of accenting materials to imbue his pipes with a unified aesthetic.

This pipe by Jared Coles is entitled the Stallion, a shape he originally carved for the 2020 American Pipe Making Expo to honor the legendary Japanese pipe-maker Hiroyuki Tokutomi. Fittingly, this Stallion exhibits a bevy of Japanese influence, marked primarily by the asymmetrical design cues. The rim draws one's eye first, the supple curvature of the broad rim bisected by crisp ridgeline that resembles a sine wave as it meanders from the fore to the aft. Moreover, the rim's construction is emblematic of the divide between the right and left flanks, which juxtapose curvaceous shaping against sharp line work. The left flank is framed by a geometric shank, whose upper ridge wraps onto the aft of the rim and whose lower ridge arcs into the pointed underside. In contrast, the right flank showcases soft contours, imbuing the shape with an natural aesthetic. Additionally, the gently inflated shank face, which features a single freckle of plateau, joins to the stem at a base of orangewood, offering an organic complement to the jet-black vulcanite. The stummel is dressed in a smoky stain, allowing the ruby hues of the thick tendrils of flame grain to jump out from the understated background. Also, this asymmetrical Stallion doesn't forget about function, as this substantial briar sits stably on a trim, flattened heel.