Sandblasted Strawberry Wood Wasp with Boxwood (Wolf Paw) Tobacco Pipe

An ardent pipe smoker, Wolfgang Becker was leafing through a magazine when he came across a collection of Lars Ivarsson pipes. He instantly fell in love with the Dane's work, but the pieces were unfortunately outside of his price range. Therefore, Becker resolved to carve pipes himself, beginning in 1987 as an autodidact. Over 35 years later, Becker is now considered one of the most talented and stylistically unique pipe-making artisans in the world. Becker only utilizes the finest plateau briar and German vulcanite and occasionally accents his pieces with organic materials like boxwood, bamboo, and horn. Much of Becker's work hints at his chief influence Lars Ivarsson, but he is best known for his signature Wasp shape, such as the example seen here.

This Wasp by Wolfgang Becker features a stout bowl with plump walls, their asymmetric shaping enhanced by the chamber, which is placed left of center. Due to the chamber's positioning, the rim is quite broad toward the right flank but trim on the left, a rather whimsical design cue that manifests compositional intrigue. Out back, the lengthy shank gently expands as it subtly arcs upward to the shank end, which is adorned with a bright boxwood band, offing a flourish of contrast against the black hues of the stummel's stain and the vulcanite stem. Furthermore, the stummel is dressed in a low-profile sandblast, highlighting gorgeous Strawberry Wood grain that is marked by thick, undulating growth rings that stretch the length of the stummel.