Ryan Alden: Sandblasted Strawberry Wood Apple with Buddha Belly Bamboo (Jack of Diamonds) Tobacco Pipe

Texas-based pipe artisan Ryan Alden has a background in sculpting, leatherworking, and woodturning—skills that have served him well in crafting pipes. Alden's pipes typically lean toward classic Anglo-French designs, many dressed in craggy sandblasts. This Apple by Ryan Alden is a perfect example of the artisan's aforementioned style—both classically inclined and textured. Measuring at less than five inches in length, this pipe also approaches Nosewarmer proportions while maintaining sturdy and muscular features. Up front, the plump bowl is squat as its walls rise from a lifted heel and taper inward to the rim. Nestled inside the bowl is a compact tobacco chamber, making this pipe an ideal option for short and satisfying smoking sessions. Out back, the briar barely extends past the transition before it gives way to a thick section of Budda Belly bamboo, the accent adding a light contrast to an otherwise dark pipe. A stylized stem cut from jet-black vulcanite brings up the rear, its pigment pairing well to the bamboo and earthy, sandblasted stummel.