Todd Johnson: Sandblasted Bent Dublin with Ivorite (Hoplite) Tobacco Pipe

Long before it was the norm, and before the internet made research and global communication easy, Todd Johnson journeyed to Denmark to study under the world's premier pipe makers, including Tom Eltang and Anne Julie. His Master's degree in aesthetics from Yale certainly aided his stylistic predilections, but it was in the workshops of those aforementioned Danes that Johnson learned about technique, engineering, and what makes a pipe great. Though Johnson champions the Danish style of pipe making, he developed a unique visual style all his own, one that often embraces the organic and highly sculptural, as evidenced by this bent Dublin.

In keeping with the American shaping tradition, this Hoplite-graded piece boasts a compact length that belies its muscular, full-bodied build. At less than five inches long, this piece packs a wealth of substance into a fairly abbreviated package, and that substance is felt in hand, with a palpable denseness evident across the bowl and shank alike. Both the bowl and shank share a tubular appearance and a steady outward flare, with this mirroring lending the entire composition a balanced appearance in profile. A crisp, terracotta-hued sandblast dresses the stummel and unveils gorgeous grain across the briar's surface, while an Ivorite accent adorns the junction and ties the composition together with a touch of vibrant color.