Scottie Piersel: Bing Crosby 3 Pipe Set with Stand Tobacco Pipe

Scottie Piersel's work is immediately recognizable and distinctive, often featuring trim, pencil shanks adorned with colorful and vibrant mouthpieces. For 2020's American Pipe Making Exposition, showcasing influences, Scottie presents her signature style with a stunning three-pipe set based on the iconic long-stemmed pipes associated with legendary crooner Bing Crosby. Bing-style pipes fit naturally into Piersel's pencil shank-style and we've received several renditions from the American carver over the past few years. It's a form Scottie's thoroughly familiar with as one of her customers sent her three Bings to study, two of which were actually owned by Crosby himself. Piersel took copious notes, pictures, and measurements and has used those pipes as the basis for her own Bings ever since, with her own style still readily evident and unmistakable.

This impressive set consists of three Bings, all imbued with Scottie's expert engineering, and exemplifies her meticulous eye for detail. The American carver focuses on functionality, the attractiveness of her pieces serving as an extension of their usefulness, believing that an excellent pipe need not only function well, but cultivate a desire to smoke it. While many pieces with trim shanks may appear delicate, these pipes are anything but fragile. Scottie has reinforced the shanks with stainless steel tubes that attach to the stems in a reverse tenon configuration. Each Billiard features near identical measurements, varying by minuscule amounts, and are all finished in light-depth sandblasts for an easy grip in hand while exposing undulating patterns of grain. The two Bings with cumberland stems also feature her signature Relief Contrast finish, which combines sandblasted and smooth-sanded finishes. The smooth rims offer textural contrast and are gently beveled, allowing for easier bowl packing.

While the shaping and internal engineering of each pipe is spectacular, this special set also doesn't skimp when it comes to aesthetics or presentation. Generous bands of sterling silver adorn each pipe, adding flashiness to their color palettes and perfectly complementing their traditional inclinations. This set comes complete with its own handcrafted briar burl stand with three magnetic golf ball rests to display each pipe, celebrating Bing Crosby's love of both golf and pipe smoking. Not only does this set pay homage to the Bing Billiard, it showcases how a creative artisan can transform a familiar form into something fresh and unique.