This is the '91.' It's another of the shop's Christmas pipes. Joe told me the more bent the better, so I made one with more than a 90 degree bend.
The real success of this pipe is the drilling in the mortise and the ferrule. I had to aim the drill at a strange angle, but the draft hole comes right out the bottom of this Greacian briar block. The ferrule, then, adds a guide for a pipe cleaner to miss the dramatic bend and go right through the pipe. You don't even have to take the stem off.
The white, full-bent stem passes even a thick pipe cleaner easily. I bend the stem by pulling on it as I go. This keeps the material open because you're not crimping it. And, the stem gives a highlight to the more natural stain on the bowl. Still, the bird's eye and flame grain look great on this tobacco pipe.
The swoops around the back of the bowl give the appearance of the bowl fitting into the shank. And gives a look that the shank grows from the rounded bottom. If you get the chance, get Joe to show you this one. There's no pipe like it in the shop.
8 inches long, 2.375 inches tall, 2.70 ounces
