Todd Johnson: ***Smooth Tomato with Brass (Phalanx) Tobacco Pipe

Todd Johnson's shaping style isn't one defined by specific shapes or a general aesthetic similarity: The American artisan's portfolio comprises everything from classic shapes, to organic Freehands, to designs that push the envelope of what's considered possible in pipe making. Instead of a certain design style, Todd's work is unified by shaping that maximizes grain potential, modern color palettes, and diverse accent materials, and this Tomato embodies those aspects, albeit in a more traditional and conservative color presentation.

The inspiration for this particular design is found in the briar block's grain orientation, with the bowl's form and the shank's curl both informed by the grain's trajectory. Squat and rounded, the bowl is a rather straight forward Tomato rendition, and its plump and muscular demeanor caters well to wrapped fingers and offers comfortable, palm-filling substance. The fore is a canvas for pinpricks of birdseye, and vertical grain fans across the flanks, connecting across the bowl's aft. Meanwhile, that vertical grain curves in unison with the shank's upward turn, flaring slightly toward the stem. The shank's flare creates a comparatively slender transition that reinforces the bowl's visually dominant weight, and a subtle, pointed heel spur adds just the slightest hint of rigidity, calling to mind the Acorn shape and also hinting at Todd's signature Samurai Volcano renditions.

Initiated by the shank and stem's sinuous posture, the entire profile urges forward with visually dynamic momentum, with the bowl's fore surging outward at the end and the grain similarly oriented to cohere with the pipe's overall shape. An auburn stain commends the grain, bringing it to prominence in a traditional presentation, and the brass wedding band at the shank end maintains the color palettes warm hue, leading into the hand-cut saddle stem. It's a pipe equal in aesthetic beauty and artisan craftsmanship, having earned Todd's superlative Phalanx grade — second only to his "Q" stamped pieces.