Lasse Skovgaard: Sandblasted Tomato Tobacco Pipe

As the son of renowned carver Benni Jørgensen, Lasse Skovgaard seemed particularly predisposed to take up pipe making, but all his talent wasn't inherited. Skovgaard spent countless years dedicated to honing his craft, starting at the age of 16, when he found a job at the W.Ø. Larsen workshop making tampers. He received instruction from his father and Teddy Knudsen and gradually developed his skills over time. Now, he's considered one of Denmark's premier artisans, and it's easy to see why when considering this Tomato shape.

Curvaceous and plump, the low-lying bowl here is lent an active stance in profile by a subtly lifted heel, which imbues the composition with a gentle sense of momentum. The oval shank takes a counterbalancing trajectory, as it curls out of the low-set transition, broadens across its length, and terminates at a saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite, out back. The stummel's consistent undercurve keeps the design cohesive and unified, not to mention sweeping in terms of line work, with the a gradual curvature easily traced from the rim of the bowl to the face of the shank. The stummel wears a crisp, dark sandblast, save for the concave rim and shank face, which are left smooth and stained a lighter color for a touch of visual and tactile contrast.