Ryan Alden: Sandblasted Prince with Silver (King of Clubs) Tobacco Pipe

A craggy sandblast covers the bowl of this plump Prince from Ryan Alden. The rim is smooth and gently rounded, its smoothness echoed by a minimalist smooth panel along the underside of the shank and heel so the piece can readily stand on its own, sneering derisively at such pipes that require a pipe rest. The slender shank-and-stem combination leads to a tapering mouthpiece with the gentlest of bends applied, not even enough bend for the lip button to touch down when the pipe is sitting. A wide sterling silver fitment divides the subtle cumberland of the stem from the matching hue of the bowl for a balanced presentation of a shape that has been a standard on shape charts since shape charts first existed.