Larry Roush: Sandblasted Poker with Wave Finish Silver (S5) (2669) Tobacco Pipe

Among Larry Roush's most in-demand designs are his Poker variants, characterized as this one is by tall, insulated chambers, craggy sandblasts, and superb internal craftsmanship. As a dedicated pipe smoker, Larry appreciates the famously utilitarian shape and pays homage to its efficiency by elevating the design to an artisanal level. Italian neoclassic influence is clearly evident in Roush's work, a legacy passed down from his mentor and American pipe-making legend Mike Butera, who learned his craft from Italian masters. That tradition is represented in Larry's portfolio with iconic shaping, exaggerated proportions, and a dramatic, immediately recognizable style.

The slight cant to this rendition's bowl balances against a bespoke, gently downturned stem, creating a stable sitter that promises a comfortable smoking posture. At first seeming a purely practical choice, Larry turns it into a work of art by placing the origin of grain at the heel's forward edge. The grain erupts upward and rearward, the crisp black sandblast accentuating ripples of growth rings around the bowl and straight striations that reach toward the shank end. Larry is renowned for his exquisite silverwork, and a striking, wave-textured silver band carries that tradition well here, separating the stem from the shank nicely. Said stem's handsome cumberland coloring stands out nicely against the dark briar and elegant silver, its rippling patterns of red and black adding understated contrast to the composition. Roush's renowned attention to detail inside and out make this a piece any collector can appreciate, while his reputation for creating excellent smoking instruments make it a pipe any smoker will be delighted to get their hands on.

-John McElheny