Mark Tinsky: Pristine Cutty (6) (Three Star) (Glenn Tinsky) Tobacco Pipe

An excellent display of the budding talent that is Glenn Tinsky, this Cutty showcases all of the skills that the American carver has acquired from his father, Mark. I'm immediately struck by the sinuous outline of this pipe, which, though rather languid as it gently ebbs forward, carries with it an appreciable degree of momentum. The tapered stem of caramel-streaked amber ebbs forth in a gentle arc from an upward-curling shank that takes on an easy taper from the wide transition, the combination adding a touch of acrobatic shaping to the composition that's especially apparent when this piece is sitting. Most Cutties renditions have spurs as vestigial organs, but some, like on this piece, allows the pipe to sit upright. The rearward slant of this spur sits the pipe at an angle, with the shank and stem thrust skyward and the bowl urging forward rather intensely, adding an alluring dynamism overall. Said bowl is quite tall and holds a capacious chamber, its build coming to a mid-set waist at a pair of thin beadlines before a Rhodesian-like taper to the rim takes over, and the rim slopes inward to the chamber for easy loading of tobacco. Dressing this piece is the Pristine finish, one which shrouds the stummel with a very light honey-like stain that, here, reveals flame grain that wraps around the flanks and over part of the fore, with the rest of the burl showcasing healthy amounts of birdseye.