Scottie Piersel: Smooth Pencil Shank Apple Tobacco Pipe

As a gift for her pipe-smoking husband, Scottie Piersel ordered a Mark Tinsky pipe kit to hand make a pipe for his collection. When she finished, Piersel was hooked. Today, Piersel has bloomed into a supremely talented pipe maker who primarily crafts traditional shapes. Additionally, Piersel values crisp line work, balanced proportions, and flawless drilling, which she incorporates into all of her pipes. Also, many Piersel pipes are instantly recognizable because of her trademark pencil shanks.

It is always a pleasure to see one of Scottie Piersel's pencil shanks, and how she can simultaneously make them so thin, long, and symmetrical. Furthermore, it is always important to note that Piersel reinforces her pencil shanks with a stainless steel inner-tube and a reverse tenon, making them exceptionally durable. The shank works to great compositional effect here, placing focus on the bowl of this plump Apple pipe, and framing its profile with a deftly cheeked transition. The shapely walls provide considerable insulation for the chamber and showcase fetching streaks of vertical grain, while the chamfered rim highlights whorls of birdseye. The stummel's chestnut stain is paired to the dark-green hues of the brindled vulcanite stem, and these elements are separated by one of Piersel's signatures, a bone white accent at the shank end. Overall, this Apple is an excellent example of Piersel's ability to create sleek pipes with a robust disposition.