Sandblasted Bent Dublin (Kikuchi) (DE) (023) (2021) Tobacco Pipe

The most lithe and slender Dublin it's been my personal pleasure to see from the Ikebana workshop, this sandblasted rendition maintains an independence of bowl thanks to the angularity at the transition in relation to the shank, which is long and reveals a handsome expansion as it curves slightly upward to meet the saddle mouthpiece. A soft heel spur defines the heel and contributes to the willowy aspect of the shank while bolstering the height of the bowl, which remains slender itself. Impressive contrast of color and texture is provided by the smooth, softly domed rim stained a woodsy and reassuring mahogany and filled with swirls of birdseye.

The sandblast is medium deep and adeptly reveals the tight ring grain that circles the bowl, pleasurable from both a tactile and visual perspective. The proportions of this pipe make it an intuitive piece to wrap one's fingers around, easy to hold thanks to it's light weight. Tsuge Ikebana shapes often tend toward the more muscular, but this piece demonstrates the proficiency and creativity of the workshop and its artisans. Such a seemingly delicate shape is a pleasure to see and, one may infer, even more pleasurable to smoke.