Wojtek Pastuch: Smooth Bent Dublin with Karelian Birch Tobacco Pipe

Polish artisan Wojtek Pastuch takes inspiration from pipe-making schools the world over, though his key stylistic influences seem rooted in the Japanese and Danish traditions. Pastuch's pipes are most often understated, or tinged with his unique outlook on shaping in subtle ways, as his portfolio showcases a profound respect for and admiration of the timeless chart standards. This bent Dublin is a remarkably bowl-forward piece from the artisan, and it stands out within his portfolio thanks to the impressive substance and stylistic focus that this bowl commands. A sweeping heel supports this bowl's robust form as it grows tall, expressively flaring walls that expand out into a vast, plateau-crowned rim, one whose expanse is actually broader than the bowl is tall. Despite the remarkable heartiness of the bowl, its walls maintain a comfortable degree of rounding as they grow, and the craggy peaks of the rim are interrupted by a steep chamfer into the chamber for a look that balances organic detail with understated softness. The transition is acute, though wide enough to accept a digit if desired, and it gives way to a gently flaring shank that lifts understatedly before blooming into a wreath of plateau at the face. Here, the plateau is hollowed out and capped with a domed fitment of Karelian birch that acts as the junction to a sleek and subtly downturned saddle stem. This combination of shank and stem contributes to a charming slenderness through the aft side, and the domed accent enhances the bowl's aforementioned balance of organicism and softness for a cohesive and alluring composition. Dressing this pipe is a vibrant contrast stain and glossy smooth finish, revealing streaks of flame lining the shank, while denser wisps of the flickering grain surround the bowl: the tones of the stummel nicely contrasted by the shank's accent.