Ryan Alden: Sandblasted Dublin (Queen of Hearts) Tobacco Pipe

Texas-born pipe carver Ryan Alden is something of a modern renaissance man, studying the ways of sculpting, horticulture, leather working, drawing, and, perhaps most pertinently, wood turning. With a profile comprising mostly traditional shapes, though with some intriguing re-imaginings of classic styles, Alden has earned his reputation, and, in seeing this Dublin, it's not hard to see why. Falling into the latter of the two previously mentioned categories, this pipe embodies the souls of both its namesake shape and the Cutty, with its svelte length of shank and stem balancing a substantial bowl that rises tall and cants jauntily forward. Right underneath the transition we see a spur erupt from the briar, one of the distinguishing features of the Cutty. The bowl features a decided flare toward the rim from the heel, with the rim possessed of a ginger inflation, coming to a dome before dipping into the chamber. The stummel is dressed in a crisp black sandblast, adding a bit of tactile intrigue, while the cumberland stem offers some pleasing contrast to the composition, the lighter hues offsetting the midnight stain of the briar.