Mike Sebastian Bay: Rusticated Lovat with Mammoth Tobacco Pipe

Mike Sebastian Bay, while searching for someone in Demark to repair his father's pipes, found himself in the workshop of legendary carver Tom Eltang. The two quickly bonded, and Eltang took Bay in as an apprentice. Eltang taught Bay the fundamentals of pipe making, everything from designing and shaping to engineering and finishing. Eltang even gave his blessing for Bay to use his signature rustication technique, which can be seen here dressing this stylish Lovat.

Sleek, minimalist, and all together charming, this piece features a pert, upright bowl that's balanced at the end of a slender, arrow-straight shank-and-stem arrangement. The shank-and-stem arrangement's svelte build and understated presence within the overall composition keep the shape lightweight in hand and streamlined in profile. The low-set transition accentuates the bowl's height and works in concert with the shank and stem to keep most of the visual weight anchored at the fore. Though similar to Eltang's style of rustication, Bay's version here is more hypnotic and wavy, covering the stummel in irregular grooves that are both eye-catching and quite stimulating to the touch. A mammoth accent adorns the shank end and provides just a hint of vibrancy to the pipe's otherwise reserved palette.