Smooth Volcano with Mokume and Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Each batch of Doctor's Pipes we receive from Roman Kovalev is a rare look into the mind of one of the most creative carvers of our time. Whether it's his novel takes on the classics or his more avant-garde Freehands, his ability to take an idea from abstraction to flawless execution is just downright impressive. For an example of that, look no further than this Volcano shape.

On the surface, it's a very compact rendition of the design with a slender shank and an arcing two-knuckle bamboo extension. The tight-knit orientation and overall light weight of the piece is just something we don't see that often on this particular shape type, but Roman's taken the idea one further through his use of accents — namely mokume-gane. What is it? Mokume-gane is a unique, Japanese metalworking process, which produces a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive, almost wood-grain patterns. This isn't the first time we've seen the unique process employed in pipe making, but Kovalev's really run with the technique here, using it on the stem base, accent between bamboo and shank, as well as filler for the bamboo's knuckles. It works to great effect, too, creating a neat balance between the organic and the industrial.

- Andrew Wike