Tiger Nautilus Tobacco Pipe

Long before it was the norm, and before the internet made research and global communication easy, Todd Johnson journeyed to Denmark to study under the world's premier pipe makers, including Tom Eltang and Anne Julie. His Master's degree in aesthetics from Yale certainly aided his stylistic predilections, but it was in the workshops of those aforementioned Danes that Johnson learned about technique, engineering, and what makes a pipe great. Though Johnson champions the Danish style of pipe making, he developed a unique visual style all his own, one that often embraces the organic and highly sculptural, as evidenced by this Tiger Nautilus.

Like the Elephant's Foot, the Ballerina, and the Sphinx, the Nautilus shape was originated by Swedish artisan Bo Nordh, but it has since become a staple among various carvers' portfolios. This particular iteration from Johnson perfectly captures the form's curling silhouette, which comprises a flared, forward-urging bowl that tapers into a sweeping shank. Said shank wraps into the bowl and completes the shape's semi-spiral appearance in profile. From the shank, a ferrule of briar reaches upward and joins a demurely curved saddle stem, the latter of which promotes a comfortable smoking posture. In addition to being crafted from a genuine nautilus shell, this piece showcases a vibrant color palette, similar to that of a tiger as part of the Tiger Nautilus' natural color patterning.