Scottie Piersel: Relief Contrast Pencil Shank Apple Tobacco Pipe

A duo-tone, low-profile sandblast defines the color palette for this long and lithe Relief Contrast creation from Scottie Piersel. The Relief Contrast treatment is relatively new for Scottie, and the technique reveals mesmerizing contrast of hue. At nearly seven-and-a-half inches in length, it's a substantial piece horizontally but with minimal vertical presence. The low transition from the plump, rounded bowl of this Apple to the pencil shank helps the bowl maintain an individual presence, and that shank then travels, and travels, and travels to the mouthpiece, which is one of Scottie's special vulcanites, chosen particularly for its color potential. This one harmonizes spectacularly with the dual stain of the sandblasted stummel. It's a striated stem of subdued sage, red, and black, and I can't imagine a better color combination for the stummel, which is an earthy brown with light chestnut highlights, matched by the smooth concave rim. A slight forward cant for the bowl imbues the piece with a traditional character, as does the beautifully rounded bowl, while the shank and stem combination provide something entirely new and exciting.