Smooth Shark (Diamond) Tobacco Pipe

Peter Heding's signature Shark design is, at its root, something of a stylized rendition of the Horn, but Peter's moniker suits the piece much better. As an animal, the shark is essentially a sleek, aerodynamic (or rather aquadynamic) fuselage of raw muscle and power, gliding through ocean depths with effortless control and fearless dominion. Heding's design here poses a similar posture, balancing tight muscularity with streamlined dynamism. The form is rather robust proportionally, yet not in a cumbersome or "heavy" manner, and Peter accomplished this aesthetic by pinching the flanks and maintaining a fluid sense of line through the profile, curling and flaring seamlessly through the piece. Such a nature is personified when this piece is held: It's substantive enough the fill the palm, and the panels along the top and bottom add security and firmness, and yet the design remains silky smooth in form and finish. This piece has, appropriately earned Heding's highest grade, the Diamond, and the shaping has highlighted one of the most beautiful and consistent displays of birdseye I've ever come across.