Ryan Alden: Sandblasted Eskimo (Jack of Diamonds) Tobacco Pipe

Leveraging his background in sculpting, leather working, and wood turning, Ryan Alden produces a wide variety of pipes, though he tends to favor the elegant simplicity of Anglo-French classics. That being said, this Eskimo takes obvious inspiration from Danish pipe making, particularly the work of Tom Eltang, who pioneered the shape and regularly crafts it as one of his signature designs. Like Eltang's rendition, this piece boasts a broad, beadline-wrapped Rhodesian bowl balanced at the fore of a flat shank that tapers swiftly into a slim mouthpiece. In profile, the incredibly slender shank-and-stem arrangement keeps the shape looking sleek and places emphasis on the bowl. When viewed from above, however, the base of the shank, near the transition, reveals a wide diameter that matches the expanse of the bowl — this playful feat of shaping offering slenderness and balance depending on one's perspective. Alden has finished this piece in a crisp, jet-black sandblast that highlights rugged grain across the stummel's surface, adding stimulating texture and a shadowy complexion to the composition.