Sandblasted Lovat with Brass Tobacco Pipe

Tom Eltang's storied career is one that spans nearly five decades and began when the artisan was only 16, though his obsession with fine pipes started when he was six. From this young age he would gaze longingly at advertisements of pipes in the windows of tobacco shops, almost prophetic of his future apprenticeship to Anne-Julie. He later joined Pipe-Dan, doing repairs and learning the importance of excellent internal engineering before moving on after another three years, finding himself employed by Stanwell as a traveling carver after working for a short time on a cargo ship. Once he split from the Danish marque, he broke out on his own, leveraging his impressive breadth of experience and signature shaping style to create impressive pieces such as this Lovat.

Eltang's Lovat renditions are rather rare, making each example an alluring one in its own right. While we've seen them fitted with bands of silver, horn, or other materials, we've never received one adorned with a band of brass. It fits in well with his Functionalist-inspired Danish classic work, complete with soft lines about its bowl that stand out in lovely contrast against the more stolid stretch of the shank and stem. Eltang's imaginings of the shape really exemplify some of the Lovat's best qualities, keeping the extended length of the shank an even width throughout its travel to the trim saddle stem, resulting in a look that's solid but not overtly muscular. Tom's Danish sensibilities lend the bowl a wonderful outline, with a rather plump, low-set waistline that informs an appreciable taper to the very slightly inflated rim, affording it both a comfortable feel in hand and an alluring appearance that draws the eye. An inky sandblast dresses the stummel here, revealing rippling ring grain cascading down the walls of the bowl, the smooth rim adding some vibrant contrast in concert with the brass accent, making for a pipe that's both stunning and understated.