Vauen: Pipe of the Year 2020 Dress Smooth (9mm) Tobacco Pipe

The Pipe of the Year has been a part of Vauen's portfolio since, at the very least, 1993, a tradition showcasing the skill and artistry of the German marque's talented craftsmen. The 2020 release of this annual pipe is a fluid, curvaceous bent Egg design that presents a gestural profile, expanding slowly from button to rim, the lifted heel sweeping upward from the bottom of the shank with an easy momentum. The paneled shank creates a structure that tempers the softness of this pipe's silhouette, forming a quartet of ridgelines that arc from the button to the rim, outlining the pipe's curves with a sturdy structure, creating a pleasing contrast and balances this piece's build. Dressed in the, well, Dress finish, this pipe wears a smooth stain of inky black, buffed to a near mirror shine, matching the stem and contrasting the trim band of bright metal around the shank end and the logo of crossed pipes inlaid atop the acrylic stem.