Wolfgang Becker: Sandblasted Wasp (Double Wolf Paw) Tobacco Pipe

In this Double Wolf Paw we find a familiar theme. or at least a theme that's about as a familiar as one can get, when dealing with the work of a pipemaker like Wolfgang. By that, I mean a pipemaker whose work is highly respected, highly sought-after, and yet also highly scarce — involving a total annual production of not much more than a couple dozen pipes.

This is Wolfgang Becker's Wasp. He certainly isn't the only artisan to make shapes by that name, or to use wasp-waisted transitions, but that said, as a whole Wolfgang's approach is one of the most zoomorphic. While other artisans may may make transitions far more slender (Wolfgang's Wasps actually tend to be quite robust overall), his handling of proportions and the pronounced roundness of the bowl form, with its dipping heel extending below the transition, is one of the most effective in actually creating a shape naturally reminiscent of the wasp itself. This all makes for a very easy to spot silhouette, and, just as importantly, a lot of long, easy contours that slip into the hand very naturally, while still providing a definite sense of firmness and substance.

- Eric N. Squires