Sandblasted Cavalier with Horn (0929) Tobacco Pipe

A Cavalier of sure-sitting capacity and gestural design, this piece from Wojtek Pastuch is an elegant example of the traditional shape. It isn't a fully functioning Cavalier — the airway not continuing through the extended shank for moisture draining — but the aesthetic of the form is well-maintained, and the foot, fashioned from extra-dark horn, allows the piece to sit upright. Rising boldly from the long shank is a Dublin bowl that flares into a plateau-crowned rim. Typically when a pipe features plateau, that gnarled texture offers the most cragginess on the piece. Here, though, the Polish carver's signature sandblast rivals the plateau in regard to tactile intrigue and visual topography. Ring grain is stunningly highlighted across the bowl, marked by deep grooves and vivid ridges — a common presentation from Pastuch and one I never get tired of admiring. Though elongated of form and rather generous of chamber depth, this piece remains impressively lightweight, ensuring a comfortable clench.