Sandblasted Strawberry Wood Dublin with Ivorite (580) Tobacco Pipe

American artisan Scott Thile is an experienced woodworker whose shaping style is steeped in the rich tradition of the American Renaissance. It's seldom that we see straight Dublin renditions from Thile, making this pipe a particularly alluring one for enthusiasts of his work, especially given its unique shaping. The transition is wide, with plenty of room to drape a digit, and it gives way to an extended round shank that tapers extremely subtly toward the end, where it meets a short saddle stem of black vulcanite. This stem features an understated flare at its base, where a broad band of pale Ivorite adds an expressive accent to the composition, the combination of shank and stem immediately calling to mind the iconic configuration of the lovat. Up front, the bowl stands atop a firm heel that's softly pointed near the fore, naturally drawing the eye as the walls make a reserved flare out to the softly domed rim. A remarkably light pipe, this piece would make a fantastic travel companion and an easy clencher, the stummel displaying a wealth of handsome grain beneath its crisp, auburn-stained sandblast.