Smio Satou: Smooth Bent Dublin Tobacco Pipe

When we think of Japanese artisanal pipe design, the typical image to come to mind is something with a Danish-school foundation, transformed into a distinctly Japanese art-form via an infusion of organic flow and shaping flourishes and modifications. Here, however, Satou presents us something clearly influenced by the smooth-lined, minimalist ethos of the Danish school, yet very distinct from the classic Danish look not because of organic or asymmetrical elements, but by its sheer, striking dynamism. It's a curious number with some surprising subtleties. For example, in profile it has a very modern, cutting-edge look, but when viewed from above, you begin to notice a streamlined distal taper that narrows not towards the stem, but towards the transition, lending shank and stem a look reminiscent of a design cue from the "jet-age" of automotive design.

- Eric N. Squires