Lasse Skovgaard: Sandblasted Bent Dublin with Olivewood Tobacco Pipe

As the son of renowned Danish carver Benni Jørgensen, Lasse Skovgaard had pipe making in his blood. He began making tampers for W.Ø. Larsen at the age of 16, and by the age of 18, he was making pipes for the venerated workshop in Copenhagen, working alongside carver Teddy Knudsen. He honed his skills while at the workshop and studied the intricacies of the craft before finally setting up his own shop in 2004. Since then, he's gained a loyal following and produces a wide range of shapes, ranging from whimsical Freehands to more traditional Danish shapes. This bent Dublin is a lovely example of his work, and it possesses the deep curvature and supple curves that define a great many of Skovgaard's pipes.

Atop a lifted heel, the bowl flares toward the ridgeline-wrapped rim. The rim favors the fore a touch of the aft, which, combined with the aforementioned heel, lends the bowl a gestural sense of momentum that drives the overall composition upwards and outwards. The shank flows effortlessly from the stretched transition and curls toward the tapered stem of jet-black vulcanite. A bulbous, disk-like accent of olivewood separates the shank from the stem and lightens the otherwise shadowy complexion of the pipe. The accent's hard lines around its face also mirror the ridgeline around the rim for a sense of balance at either end of the stummel. A dark sandblast commends the briar and draws out rippling growth rings across the surface of the bowl, providing a gentle texture and plenty of visual appeal.