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

Ryan Alden's petite Apple renditions are each special in their own ways, and all of them display the talents of the Texas-born renaissance man. With a background in sculpting, leather working, and wood turning among many others, Alden has consistently been able to draw on his life experiences to improve his craft, proving himself more than able to deliver consistent shapes in nearly every size. This particular petite Apple example pairs a svelte saddle stem to a gently flaring shank whose end is adorned with a band of silver. As the shank grows into the transition, we see a slight hint of cheeking before the bowl erupts forth, its supple curvature and gentle lines adding a palpable softness and creating a lovely presence in hand. The underside of the pipe is flat and allows stable sitting, and for such a compact piece, the tobacco chamber is actually quite capacious. The rim is finished smooth, while the rest of the stummel features a ruby-hued sandblast that matches the palette of the rim, but contrasts in texture. The flash of silver at the shank end provides further color contrast, as well as an extra area of differential texture that brings levity to the composition, not only this but it simply makes a handsome, stately pipe all the more genteel.