Mike Sebastian Bay: Sandblasted Bent Egg with Musk Ox Horn Tobacco Pipe

Danish artisan Mike Sebastian Bay began carving pipes quite by chance. While seeking someone to repair his father's old pipes, he encountered a certain Tom Eltang. The two quickly bonded, and Eltang became his mentor, guiding him through the process of making his own high-quality pipes. Now a highly respected artisan in his own right, Bay puts those early lessons to use, incorporating elements of Eltang's style into his own aesthetic.

This bent Egg is a fine example of Bay's work, displaying a sleek, angular profile with no lack of supple curves. The bowl rests on a typically Danish lifted heel, with curvaceous walls that taper upward to a slim rim that urges forward with a playful cant and angled rim. Out back, a highly cheeked transition emphasizes the curvature of the bowl, giving way to gently arced round shank joined to a comfortably bent vulcanite saddle stem accented with a band of bright white musk ox horn. Dressed in a crisp black sandblast, the stummel boasts excellent ring grain around the bowl, contrasted by a smooth rim that, when paired with the horn accent, creates a rustic, yet elegant impression.