Smooth Acorn with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

When it comes to Alexander Tupitsyn's signature style, his more Ilsted-inspired pieces are usually the first to come to mind, featuring strong, dynamic lines that continue through the bowl to create a strong, bold heel. As such, a softly contoured Acorn might seem unfamiliar to those well-versed in the Russian artisan's aesthetic. But that doesn't mean he can't simply knock it out of the park.

And that's exactly what Alexander has done here with a home-run take on Sixten's legendary Peewit shape. It's only the third Acorn we've ever received from Tupitsyn, and very different from the previous couple. The smooth, convex taper down to the softened spur, the high-set transition, even the subtle doming to the rim all point to Sixten's archetype, but Alexander has done well to adapt the form to his own style — keeping the rim circular, lending less bend to the shank itself (which is composed of four beautifully spaced knuckles of pale bamboo), and scaling it all down to some charmingly compact, PS Studio-like proportions. Despite its abbreviated form, Tupitsyn's done well to maintain even spacing between transition, knuckles, and stem-base, creating a continuous and balanced rhythm in profile. And the neat cross-cut grain pattern is nothing short of stellar.

- Andrew Wike