Todd Johnson: Sandblasted Long Shank Acorn (Hoplite) Tobacco Pipe

Todd Johnson has garnered an international reputation for his highly original, sculpture-inspired pipes. While he has a degree in aesthetics from Yale, it wasn't until he studied under Tom Eltang and Lars Ivarsson that Johnson began to truly hone his skills in pipe making. Long before it was the norm, Johnson traveled to Denmark and learned not only what makes a pipe beautiful, but also functional. The Danish influence is evident in most of Johnson's work, which tends to favor stylized interpretations of shape-chart standards, but he renders it through his own creative lens to fashion pipes that are singularly his own. This long-shanked Acorn is a perfect showcase of Johnson's distinctive style, as it displays the supple curves, precise line work, and deft shaping expected expect from the distinguished American carver.

Long, lean, and incredibly gestural, this Acorn features a rather distinctive bowl that immediately brings to mind the Rhodesian shape, what with its domed rim, wrapping ridgeline, and flaring heel. Unlike most Rhodesians, however, the bowl here is quite soft in terms of appearance, the aforementioned ridgeline more felt than seen, and the walls that comprise the bowl boasting a more rounded curvature. The shank-and-stem arrangement mirrors the bowl's quite subdued visual presence, taking on a subtle incline from the transition to the bit and adding just a touch of gesture to the form's silhouette. An inky sandblast dresses the stummel and unveils tight bands of growth rings that ripple across the flanks of the bowl to a rim populated with birdseye. The dark complexion of the stummel is complemented by the jet-black vulcanite mouthpiece, resulting in a reserved yet cohesive color palette.