Sandblasted Wasp with Boxwood (Double Wolf Paw) Tobacco Pipe

The Wasp is as much of a signature as one can assign to a maker like Wolfgang Becker, whose work spans such a variety of shapes that it can be difficult to pin any single piece as being iconic of his style. Tightly cinched near the transition, with a flaring shank and bulb-like bowl, it's a piece that immediately brings to mind its namesake, and gives a truly eye-catching profile that one would be hard-pressed to mistake. Finished in an ultra-dark sandblast and accented with a thin disc of pale boxwood, it's also one that revels in its understatement, allowing the shaping to take center stage, while the accompanying features are simple, elegant details. Beautifully rendered, and definitely worthy of his Double Wolf Paw.