Partially Rusticated Elephant's Foot Tobacco Pipe

Kent Rasmussen has an objective when he makes pipes. For Kent, pipe making is not a subjective experience. Kent brings a degree of seriousness and intensity to his pipe making that is rarely matched by other pipe makers. This intensity is demonstrated in his pipes. Kent's pipes exhibit a boldness and strength of form that is unsurpassed.

A few months ago, Kent began to experiment with the lines that are inherent within the elephant's foot. The choice is a logical one. Few shapes can be as proportionally altered as the pachyderm paw, and still be instantly recognizable to the observer. The elephant's foot before you, to my mind, is actually a "prequel" to 002-287-0071. Staying within a solidly architectural aesthetic, Rasmussen elongates the base shape and works with Deco inspired curves on the rim and base of the body. Kent's signature bold edges have rarely been shown off as well as they are in the execution of this tiered rim. The smooth and the rusticated juxtapose to form an explosive layering that is nigh near impossible to look away from. Heck the view from the top rear oblique is worth the cost of admission, in and of itself! If you are into pipes for the grain (and you know who you are) you will not be disappointed.

--Bear Graves