Mike Sebastian Bay: Smooth Rhodesian with Musk Ox Tobacco Pipe

Mike Sebastian Bay's Shaping style is influenced by the Danish greats, his portfolio typified by its consistently excellent output of classic shapes steeped in Danish sensibilities. Bay's Rhodesians are typically more slender and gracile than this example, whose form is defined by its stoutness and compact muscularity, making it a great find for enthusiasts of the Dane's work who prefer heartier smokers. The transition is tight, though with enough room to drape a digit, and it gives way to a sharply upturned shank of remarkable thickness that flares out to a broad junction accent of musk ox. This accent lends the composition some rich contrast and boasts complex, swirling patterns, and its face has been inlaid with a trim band of brass that reinforces a push-mount-style stem of black vulcanite. Said stem is shaped with a firm expansion ring at the base that highlights the negative space between the base and the shank face, and its bit is demurely curved for a comfortable smoking posture. Directly beneath the transition, the underside of the stummel manifests a wrapping ridgeline that flows from one side of the shank to the other, wrapping around the heel and fore of the bowl as it does. This ridge defines a sharp lift in the briar that pushes the bowl high and into the forefront of one's attention, and its presence at the fore is enhanced by a subtle outward push of burl that cinches slightly before the walls make their gentle flare to the high-set waist. A pair of crisp beadlines mark the waist and denote the walls' subsequent taper toward the plateau-crowned rim. A singular interpretation of the timeless shape, this piece is dressed in a warm, rich, smooth finish, revealing a flickering pattern of flame grain surrounding the bowl.