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

Ryan Alden is a Texas-based artisan whose journey into the realm of pipes has found him favoring classic shapes steeped in the tradition of Anglo-French design, with these profiles making up the vast majority of his profile as a carver. This Lovat is one of several that we've received from him over the years and proudly displays all of the elements that make that shape a staple on shape charts throughout the world, all while embodying the exacting shaping and keen eye for detail that Alden has developed. The stem here is slightly altered compared to more serialized iterations of this profile, with a slightly extended bit that maintains the sleekness of its saddle orientation while also furthering the reach of this pipe length-wise. It's paired to a lengthy, arrow-straight shank that ebbs out of a gently cheeked transition, the combination doing well to balance the robust bowl while remaining fairly svelte in comparison. Said bowl stretches upward to more than two inches tall, providing a defined area of visual focus as it rises above the shank and stem easily. Its walls are actually quite rich with curves, as Alden has chosen to, rather than keep this bowl stolidly cylindrical, lend it a rounded heel that informs a low-set waist followed by a gentle taper to its contoured rim. The chamber held within these walls is capacious and the feel in hand is quite comfortable, the entire composition able to sit sturdily thanks to a flattened underside. Dressed in a garnet-toned sandblast, the stummel here reveals some handsome grain, with blasted birdseye at the flanks and rippling growth rings through the midsection, its ruby-hued palette complemented by the cumberland stem.