Ryan Alden: Sandblasted Paneled Billiard (King of Clubs) Tobacco Pipe

When Ryan Alden fashions a Foursquare, he does so in bold, imposing style, never skimping on structure and increased dimensions. As such, his renditions exude a classic English style and offer house pipe-worthy proportions. This particular one is a perfect example — on par with a Dunhill Group 6 or 800-series "ODA" and exhibiting the stolid, sturdy-sitting charm that has made the design such a staple within classically inclined pipe collections. All that said, though this piece features a bowl that exceeds two inches tall, paired to a similarly robust shank, the overall weight remains deceptively light, resting easily in hand and offering a presence that's comfortable, rather than cumbersome. This comfort is furthered, then, by the shape's characteristic panels, adding texture to the light-depth sandblast. The shape itself is right in line with Alden's previous iterations, but this one wears a low-gloss, jet-black stain accented by a brindled vulcanite stem of vivid indigo and Kelly green hues — a noticeably more striking presentation compared to the American carver's previous chocolate brown and cumberland aesthetic.