Scottie Piersel: Partially Sandblasted Pencil Shank Tomato Tobacco Pipe

Part of what makes Scottie Piersel pipes so charming is the stark dichotomy of proportions and yet delicate balance often presented between bowl and shank, as seen here. The American carver takes pride in crafting pipes with superb function, comfort, and engineering. Equally adept at creating stylish, muscular designs or ultra sleek renditions, she here presents a Tomato that's a pleasing culmination of both.

Easily recognized as Scottie's work, this piece features the Tomato bowl's low-slung stature amid considerable breadth, along with a flattened base and deeply beveled rim. A sure Sitter, it's affixed to one of the artisan's signature pencil-thin shanks, which seems awfully fragile but is anything but, Scottie having reinforced it with stainless steel for longevity and durability. It's met by a trim accent ring of Ivorite, another oft seen design cue, before transitioning into a brindled vulcanite stem of blues, greens, and reds. The stummel is dressed in a dark walnut sandblast, showcasing a dizzying array of rippling growth rings in addition to gently wavy flame grain, while the smooth rim further softens the form and, back to that aforementioned utilitarianism, aids in the loading of favored blends into the broad chamber. It's topped by an eye-catching, hand-cut mouthpiece of vulcanite, the multiple rich colors adding even more flourish to this carefully crafted pipe.