Ryan Alden: Sandblasted Devil Anse (Queen of Hearts) Tobacco Pipe

Based in Rowlett, Texas, artisan Ryan Alden makes pipes of an unflinchingly classical orientation, with much of his portfolio hearkening back to the shape-chart standards of old Anglo-French marques. While he is quite talented at crafting pipes of a more organic, contemporary leaning, it is far more often that we see pipes such as this Devil Anse coming from his workshop, though in saying that I must note that this is only the second example of this shape that we've ever seen from him. He has certainly made quite a few Cutties, or Apples that have come close and which feature plump bowls, but this particular profile is something of a rarity, and an alluring one at that. When I mention the bowl of these pipes being plump and nicely rounded, I mean to immediately bring your attention to this bowl here, as it stands proudly atop the end of a consistently tapering stretch of shank and stem. Said bowl is quite hearty, rising nearly two inches tall and holds an impressively capacious chamber, one surrounded with thick insulating walls that are sure to keep your hands comfortable during smoking. A cheeked transition leads into a consistently tapering stretch of shank and stem, with the latter quite trim comparatively, and the whole emphasizing the forward cant of the bowl and its subtle dynamism quite well. On the underside we see that the heel has been flattened, a feature that allows for the pipe's stable sitting and magnifying the practical nature of this shape, which is already primed for pocket carry. The stummel is dressed in a low-depth sandblast and deep, ruby-hued stain that complements the jet black stem quite handsomely, with the slightly buffed rim providing a touch of textural contrast.