Wojtek Pastuch: Sandblasted Stack Tobacco Pipe

Known for his skillful craftsmanship and carefully rendered designs, Wojtek Pastuch is a talented Polish carver who crafts a wide range of unique shapes, from fairly traditional designs to more eccentric compositions, with this Stack representing the conservative side of his portfolio. Up front, a tall, full-bodied bowl stands atop a wide heel and grows trim walls that taper sharply to a taut rim. This taper rounds out the chamber's walls and softens the form, giving the bowl an outline reminiscent of a flower bud. A wide transition follows the bowl and marks the start of a trim, protracted shank that subtly flares to a broad face before joining a slender saddle stem. The trim shank-and-stem arrangement streamlines the composition's aft, keeping the overall design lightweight and keeping the pipe's silhouette looking sleek. An inky, deep sandblast completes the ensemble and draws out neat stacks of growth rings along the bowl's flanks.