Smooth Lars Blowfish with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

Beginning at the end of the shank, sweeping across the underside of one flank, and then dissolving into the soft curvature of the bowl, this defining line has a way of tying compositions together — making for a seamless, fluid silhouette in profile. Its simplicity and elegance translate so well into bent, spherical shapes; so well, in fact, that we've seen a range of variations, from compact Grechukhins to more organic Japanese designs.

While these renditions are commendable in their own right, few have incorporated this theme with the same minimalist elegance with which Lars first realized his bent Apple shapes — instead adapting the signature teardrop line to match their own unique styles, often to an almost rakish and jaunty degree. Brad Pohlmann, however, is one of those select few to really capture the essence of the Ivarsson line — a feat quite evident in this Lars-inspired Blowfish design.

From the Egg-shaped bowl, to the dynamic arcing line of the underside, and sinuous S-curve of the shank and stem, Brad has here not only created something that captures an elegance of form to rival Lars's, but he's integrated the striking style into a composition that's all his own. Elegant, minimalist, stout-proportioned, and superbly grained. sure, you can use these adjectives to describe this piece. As for me, only one really hits the mark: beautiful.

- Andrew Wike