Ken Dederichs: Partially Sandblasted Bent Dublin Tobacco Pipe

Germany-based, Japanese carver Ken Dederichs takes inspiration from Japanese and Danish pipe making and tends to craft rather organic shapes. He has the impressive ability to marry stout proportions with supple curves, resulting in rather distinctive pipes that are at once muscular and fluid. Dederichs' background in architecture undoubtedly informs his style, as his pipes are precisely rendered in both fit and finish. Prioritizing quality over quantity, Dederichs has a low annual production rate, so it's always a treat when we receive one of his new pieces, like this bent Dublin.

An elegant composition, this bent Dublin sees a tall, thick-walled bowl paired to a subtly bent shank-and-stem arrangement. Said bowl flares from its lifted heel to its broad, smoothly polished rim, and as it does, it takes on a forward-canted posture that lends the entire shape a dynamic appearance in profile. Out back, the shank and stem taper together, slenderizing the aft side of the composition and keeping things sufficiently lightweight. A dark sandblast dresses the stummel and coaxes out rippling growth rings that climb the walls of the bowl before giving way to a rim populated with lush birdseye.