Smooth Crossgrain with Aluminum and Bakelite Tobacco Pipe

Todd Johnson pipes bridge the gap between fine smoking instruments and fine art, as each piece he produces delivers the utmost in both aesthetics and engineering. This comes as no surprise, given Johnson's background: He earned a master's degree in aesthetics from Yale University and studied under several of the pipe-making greats, including Tom Eltang and Anne Julie. With such impressive credentials and an inherent knack for design, it's no wonder Johnson's portfolio is replete with exceptional pieces such as this Crossgrain.

The Crossgrain is an exceedingly rare shape in general, and this is the first one we've come across from Johnson, making this an exceptionally thrilling find for admirers and collectors of his work. As is his custom, the artisan has taken this already distinctive shape and made it entirely his own: The bowl is more oblong — almost Egg-like — and features crisp, subtly fluting ridgelines along the channel that runs through the midsection. Said ridgelines flatten out as the channel melds effortlessly into the shank, though the distinct contrast between the briar's exceptional cross grain and birdseye still remains: a testament to Johnson's unparalleled skill at reading and rendering a block of briar. Continuing the channel's steady, graceful curve, the shank sweeps up high into the air, poising the stem for a comfortable smoke. The split stem is every bit as striking as the stummel, featuring vibrant sky-blue Bakelite and domed shoulders of gleaming aluminum. The stem's mount is also fashioned from aluminum, and together they add a brilliant flash of contrast against the stummel's warm auburn stain.

From stem to rim, this offering from Todd Johnson exhibits unparalleled craftsmanship and undeniable style. Replete with clean lines and graceful, balanced curves, and an inherently Danish shape to begin with, this Crossgrain readily speaks to Johnson's deep ties to the Danish carving style, yet it undeniably retains his singular, unmistakable flair.