Pete Prevost: Smooth Author Tobacco Pipe

Pete Prevost bought his first pipe at the age of 18, soon thereafter discovering the larger realm of handmade pipes and purchasing a pipe kit which he spent two days shaping into something of his own, finding in this experience a passion for the art of pipe carving. This passion soon evolved into a career, as Prevost learned from some of the top American artisans early on in his development as a pipe maker, eventually moving to Nashville and further honing his craft, later giving up his career as a touring musician to focus solely on carving. His shaping style is marked by pipes that display a tightly-knit muscularity, creating pieces that are both compact and robust.

This Author in particular is a fantastic example of that style, coming in at just under five and a half inches long, though embodying a distinct thickness and heartiness in the hand. A wide transition here holds much of the visual focus of this composition, the shank-and-stem combination and bowl being extremely balanced in this regard. Said shank is a low-set, lifting ovoid that's possessed of an impressive breadth, tapering as it reaches toward a demurely curved saddle of jet-black vulcanite. The stem offers a comfortable smoking posture and does well to slenderize the aft portion of this piece, though its arcing travel to the button and lengthiness compared to the stummel maintains the relative visual prominence of the pair. A sweeping curvature through the underside leads the eye to a lifted heel that supports the bowl, lifting its plump walls into further prominence. Aside from the bowl's immediately apparent rotundity, what stands out the most is its defined taper to the rim, looking quite Brandy-like in silhouette, though maintaining the supple curvature which makes the Author so beloved. Comfortable in the hand and with plenty of room to drape a digit around back, this bowl additionally acts as a fantastic canvas to showcase some excellent grain. A rich auburn stain dresses the stummel and reveals dense gouts of flame grain wrapping around the bowl and through the flanks of the shank, while the underside of the stummel is covered in a massive ocean of tightly-packed birdseye.