Wojtek Pastuch: Partially Sandblasted Dublin (0846) Tobacco Pipe

From his demonstrative Witch's Hat design to his more conservatively flared iterations, Wojtek Pastuch's Dublins never fail to disappoint, often featuring sleek, streamlined proportions and a healthy dose of creative whimsicality either in shape or accenting touches. In this particular rendition, the Polish carver leaves it free of alternative mediums, instead using his shaping skill as a craftsman do all the necessary accenting.

Starting at the bowl, the form is tall, forward canted, and generously flared, trumpeting from out of a very trim transition into a rounded, smooth polished rim that's been kissed with plateau. Out back, then, trails a pinched shank whose streamlined nature makes for a sleek profile and lends even more visual weight to the bowl. When viewed from an aerial perspective, though, the shank flares toward the creatively carved end —, curling suddenly into points at either end, resembling the base of the fleur-de-lis or, say, the cross-guard of a sword. Continuing the analogy, the stem, then, acts as the sword's hilt (or blade, depending on your choice of perspective) merging with the shank end via a push style tenon. Going a step further, Wojtek has slightly tilted the shank end too, adding a dose of whimsical asymmetry that echoes the off-center positioning of the plateau at the rim. Dressed in a low-profile sandblast, the unique shaping cures are all the more highlighted while also providing just the right amount of stimulating texture in hand.