Todd Johnson: Sandblasted Acorn (Hoplite) Tobacco Pipe

One of the most recognized and respected artisans in America, Todd Johnson is a foundational pioneer of the modern American pipe-making movement. Johnson began carving pipes in the spring of 2000, coming into the craft with a history of woodworking that afforded him a collection of useful tools and skills, though these skills were honed through teaching by fellow pipe makers, specifically Tom Eltang, who invited him to his workshop. Additional training at the hands of the legendary Lars Ivarsson provided Johnson with a powerful arsenal of knowledge and skill which he has used to create some of the most inventive and innovative pipes on the market, and has spread through teaching students of his own.

Throughout Johnson's portfolio, examples of the Acorn shape are well represented, with many of those examples showcasing the artisan's talent for extending profiles while maintaining proportional balance. This particular iteration of the shape is a less overtly stylized one, but it still showcases Johnson's signature shaping ability and hearty, organic style. A rather neoclassical take on the Acorn, this pipe places the vast majority of its visual weight on the bowl, its impressive robustness balanced by a far more slender shank and stem combination that lifts out of an angular transition. The shank itself is quite slim as it starts out of the transition, sitting slightly higher than the bowl's spurred, descending heel and curling upward with an easy flare out to the asymmetrical shank face: one which has been carved out in the middle to allow the stem to fit flush, the raised edge of the briar surrounding the base. Not only does this make the stem fitment extra secure, but it enhances the organic shaping of this pipe to an incredible degree, as if the natural briar were attempting to grow over the saddle stem's vibrant, multicolored vulcanite. Up front, the bowl stands atop the aforementioned spur, its rounded presence making it a focal point without adding a great deal of muscularity to the composition. The bowl boasts thick walls that rise high as they flare out to a rounded rim that's chamfered into the chamber nicely, resulting in an imposing feel in hand and an impressive height that keeps the eye drawn to the front. Dressed in a crisp tanblast, this pipe showcases dense bands of rippling grain cascading down the bowl, its light tones contrasted strikingly by the variegated hues of the stem.