Smooth Shield with Horn Tobacco Pipe

Johannes "Suhr" Rasmussen is the grandson of legendary pipe makers Poul Rasmussen and Anne Julie, and carved his first pipe at the tender age of eight. He took up professional pipe making in 2016, and in addition to benefiting from the tutelage of his supremely skilled grandparents, Suhr was also mentored by Tom Eltang. Suhr's portfolio bespeaks his deep entrenchment in the artisanal pipe-making world, and is replete with stunning pieces such as this Shield.

Pioneered by legendary pipe maker Bo Nordh, the Shield shape is not an easy shape to carve, and requires an immense amount of skill in selecting and reading a block of briar, which Suhr has masterfully accomplished here. The confluence of grain and shaping is impressively seamless, and the grain itself is accentuated by a striking contrast stain. The composition combines soft curves and plump forms with crisp chamfering and long, flowing lines for a truly dynamic shape. The bowl's swelling fore offers a satisfying presence in hand, and the upswept shank-and-stem arrangement offers a relaxed smoking posture with minimal arm movement required to lift the pipe to the palate. An inlaid band of horn adorns the base of the saddle stem, its dark coloring and fine striations complementing the tight tendrils of chestnut-stained grain throughout the stummel. The Shield is no stranger to Suhr's portfolio, and this one provides further proof that each iteration the artisan produces somehow manages to be better than the last.