Sandblasted Alien with Warthog Tusk (10th Anniversary) Tobacco Pipe

While Wojtek Pastuch is known for a wide creative range, his profile replete with everything from sleek renditions of shape chart standards to highly sculptural iterations, the Polish artisan wanted to go all out for his 10-year-anniversary of pipe making. And he nailed it here, with a shape he is calling an Alien. It certainly looks extra-terrestrial, with a bulbous fore evocative of a head, a trim aft end protected by chitinous-plate-like armor, and incredibly detailed, grasping feet.

The creature sits stably, or perhaps crouches is a better word, with a sense of implied momentum and danger, as well as a delicate beauty. The stem sprouts from the back of the shape and is adorned by an accent of warthog tusk that Pastuch said he left in the original shape on the outside, hollowing out the inside to create an effect I find to be a web of organic intrigue. It would be hard enough to create such a complex and imaginative shape without respect to the grain, but Wojtek was not satisfied with that idea and instead found a piece of briar with incredibly tight radiation of grain. He incorporated the grain into the alien form, the radiating growth rings accentuated by a low-profile sandblast and ink-black stain to look very much like the slithery texture of alien skin. A compelling piece simply as art, this creation is further elevated by excellent fit and finish inside and out, elements such as a hand-funneled lip button and carefully-drilled airway ensuring it will not just look amazing but be a ready favorite in any smoker's rotation.