Scottie Piersel: Relief Contrast Pencil Shank Stack Tobacco Pipe

Scottie Piersel is an American carver who produces shapes with an emphasis on functionality, longevity, and engineering. Over the course of her career, she's developed a unique style that's striking in its refinement. This Stack is an excellent example of her work, as it perfectly captures the understated elegance that Piersel imbues all of her pipes with.

As is typical for a Piersel pipe, this piece features an incredibly slender pencil shank that's dwarfed by a more muscular bowl, all of which are rendered in bold proportions that approach Pierse's Magnum territory. One could be mistaken at first glance for assuming that this pipe may be structurally unsound, but that's not the case. The entire airway is lined with stainless steel tubing for added durability, allowing it to support the brawny build of the bowl. The overall form is lightweight in hand and streamlined in profile, the shank-and-stem arrangement's svelte lines drawing the eye to the bowl, while the colorfully brindled vulcanite stem offers a touch of visual contrast. Scottie's signature Relief Contrast finish dresses the stummel and brings vivid definition to the briar, coaxing out rippling waves of grain about the bowl interspersed with smoother sections for further contrast.