Sandblasted Bent Acorn Reverse Calabash (Ohi) (H) (236) (2016) Tobacco Pipe

Yoshirou Ohi's designs are quite often dramatic in way or another, and in this case that way is one of sheer substance. Yes, as a reverse-Calabash design the shank of this Acorn does contain a hollow cavity that serves as a condensation chamber, but still the walls there do remain quite thick, overall contributing to the sense of mass both visually and in terms of the pipe's sense of balance in hand (as opposed to many reverse-Calabashes, with wider-chambered and thinner-walled shanks that "add lightness" to the feel of their design). And then there's the bowl of course, an extremely robust one, and crowned in plateau on top of that to add a touch of rugged, natural cragginess as well. Even the particular choice of briar fits into the theme, its especially dense ring grain really complementing the shape's theme of concentrated and considerable mass.

- Eric N. Squires