Smooth Globe with Masur Birch (Diamond) Tobacco Pipe

Inspired by the artistic works of Anne-Julie, Peter Heding first laid hands on a block of briar in 2003, buying a few from Tom Eltang and carving his first pipes on his kitchen floor. Heding was then invited to Eltang's workshop, where he spent two years learning from the Danish master, Eltang teaching him the finer points of shaping and internal engineering, as well as inspiring his shaping style. Heding was so taken with the art of carving that, in 2006, the Ph.D.-holding molecular biologist quit his job at a prestigious research institute to pursue a career as an artisan pipe maker, his talents showcased by pipes such as this Globe.

The Globe shape is a rare one from Heding and one that's instantly reminiscent of the bent Apple, though approaching the Ball in its thorough rounding and impressive curvature. Every bit of this pipe is possessed of an ample suppleness, with pleasant contours typifying the feel in hand through both the shank and bowl. The shank itself is a measured curl of briar that reaches out of a wide transition, arcing up towards a junction marked with a trim band of vulcanite and a broad, expansive accent of masur birch that expands out to a firm expansion ring. A demurely curved saddle stem of black vulcanite pairs to the shank here, its own base outlined with an expansion ring to match the presence of the shank's accent, nicely unifying the aft side's terminus while introducing a slight sharpness that contrasts the rest of this pipe's striking roundness. This roundness is further underscored by the transition, though it's not cheeked, rather being more emphasized than others, bringing focus to the bowl's cheeks and the easy curves it embodies.

Up front, a sweeping heel supports the bowl's presence, bolstering it as the key focal point of this pipe, something which its impressive rotundity and hearty substance in hand only further highlight. The walls here are thick, offering plenty of insulation for the bowl's capacious chamber, and they flare out from the heel, arcing toward a high-set waistline and canting forward before curving into a chamfered rim. The bowl's high waist lends this pipe a look similar to the Acorn, and the transition's shaping lends the aft wall a more taut look compared to the fore, keeping the look of this piece dynamic and intriguing. Dressed in a warm, rich, vibrant auburn stain, the stummel of this pipe provides ample space to showcase some truly impressive grain, as the midsection is wrapped with a continuous band of cross grain that frames broad seas of birdseye on the briar's flanks: earning this pipe Heding's superlative Diamond grade.