Sandblasted Diamond Shank Canadian Tobacco Pipe

The history of American artisan pipe making can be divided into two distinct eras: The first, in the '70s and '80s, drew much from Italian aesthetics, as well as the Danish Fancy style, creating pipes of often bold, dramatic proportions and others with more wild, Freehand aspects. The second, in the late '90s and continuing today, brought Danish and Japanese artisan inspiration and techniques, expanding the œuvre with refined classics and intricate, avant-garde renditions. Brad Pohlmann is one of the few carvers to exist in both eras of American artisan pipe making, and his style has mirrored the trajectory of that stylistic history. His pipe-making origins began in the '70s, but Pohlmann took a hiatus until the early 2000s to pursue a career in the computer industry. Since then, though, he's established himself as among the most renowned artisan pipe makers in North America, producing work sought the world over and celebrated not only for its distinctive aesthetic bent but also its premium craftsmanship and unparalleled engineering.

Arguably Pohlmann's most recognized and famous signature designs, this Canadian is a distinctive reinterpretation of the timeless shape-chart standard. The traditional Canadian pairs a Billiard bowl to an elongated oval shank and abbreviated tapered stem, but Pohlmann's iconic version trades the oval shank for one of diamond cross section — like that of a Bulldog. Such a departure retains the Canadian's overall classic motif, but the ridgelines and panels of the shank add a sense of strength and structure to the design. This particular rendition presents a reserved and refined sandblast in a chocolate stain to complement the hand-cut cumberland stem.