Ryan Alden: Sandblasted Bent Brandy with Bamboo (Queen of Hearts) Tobacco Pipe

Texas-based artisan Ryan Alden doesn't often incorporate bamboo into his pieces, though we've seen a couple from him in recent years — including his entry into 2019's American Pipemaking Exposition. By comparison, this bent Brandy, while being fashioned from briar instead of morta, also displays a more uniform section of bamboo. Alden has initiated the bamboo's rhythm at the stem, fashioning the base into a disc-like formation with a subtle groove around the middle to echo the look of a bamboo knuckle. Its spacing follows that of the bamboo, leading the eye through the shank and into the bulbous bowl up front. Forward of cant, the bowl's rotund based is actually set just above the transition, tapering upward to the rim while the heel is softly rounded, almost like a Rhodesian with a considerably low-set waistline. Alden has dressed it all in a stunning sandblast, bringing out the best of the briar's vertical and ring grain. The color palette contrasts handsomely against the pale-hued bamboo, and the ruby-tinged, smooth rim offers just the right amount of added color.