Sandblasted Lovat with Boxwood (King of Clubs) Tobacco Pipe

Ryan Alden is a carver mostly devoted to classic shapes, (though he does produce more whimsical, Freehand designs every so often), and his conventional style typically falls in line with the traditional English and French shaping aesthetic — characterized by upright bowls, hearty proportions, and rigid lines. That all said, this particular Lovat has noticeable Danish cues in its form: Most notably, Alden has tapered the bowl into a softly inflated rim, stained a smooth, warm, Bruyere-like hue to contrast the dark sandblast below, and the heel is lifted and the transition prompting supple cheeking about the lower bowl. This finish, however, is of the more craggy style, calling to mind the texture often seen in old-school English sandblast. It's rendered in Ryan's typically robust proportions, presenting a size on par with a Group 5 or 6, and the American carver has added a third color with the use of trim boxwood at the stem base. A lovely mix of Ryan's conventional cues, with a not-so-subtle nod to the Danish tradition sprinkled in.