Ryan Alden: Sandblasted Volcano (King of Clubs) Tobacco Pipe

Ryan Alden is a Texas-based artisan and Renaissance man, with a background in woodturning, leather working, sculpting, and ceramics, among others. His fluency in these different disciplines is something he draws upon when crafting pipes. Sourcing only the highest quality blocks of briar from Italy and Algeria, though he often utilizes morta and olivewood as well, Alden has a distinct eye for traditional English and French shaping cues, often rendering classic Billiards with discerning precision. Here, the American carver offers a departure from those traditional shapes with this Volcano, but it still remains distinctly an Alden piece.

A sweeping ridgeline wraps the base of the stummel, extending from the shank through the bowl, resulting in a jutting, sharply pronounced heel at its front. The wrapping ridgeline presents firm lines that accentuate the subtle curvature of the shape, carrying momentum from the bowl through the thick transition, and up the shank to the cumberland stem. The bowl tapers from a narrow rim to a plump base that gives the piece its iconic, naturalistic shape, and when paired to a triangular shank as this piece is, it lends the design a rather structural quality in profile. Though Alden crafts pipes with handsome smooth finishes, he prefers the rugged texture of sandblasts, and it's easy to see why, especially in this piece. The stark growth rings brought out by the black and ruby-tinged sandblast stack across the bowl's plump shaping with ease, providing a visual and tactile texture, with the rim left smooth for a sleek accent. The piece is finished off with a arcing half-saddle stem of traditional cumberland hues, providing a harmonious complement to the stummel.