Bill Shalosky 2016 Smooth Scoop Estate Briar Pipe, American Estates [SOLD]

Description

American artisan Bill Shalosky’s pipe-making career began at Smokers’ Haven, in Premal Chheda’s workshop. Showing a great talent for the craft, Shalosky went solo, creating high-grade pipes under his own name, which he continues to do today. In addition to his solo work, Shalosky serves as the president pipe-maker at Todd Johnson and Pete Prevost’s BriarWorks company.

The scoop is one of my favorite shapes to come out of the Danish pipe-making tradition. True to its name, the shape is characterized by a scooping movement that its profile traces from button to front rim. To call it a ‘bent’ shape seems inappropriate; instead, it is one that falls and rises, almost like a bird on the wind. The second defining trait of the scoop – one that sets it apart from the apple – is its concave bowl. On the best scoops, among which I’d count this one from American Bill Shalosky, the rim’s contours rim run perfectly parallel to the base below. This pipe also features perfect straight grain comparable to the highest grade pipes of, say, Copenhagen’s W.O. Larsen, but you probably don’t need me to see that.

The condition is great. There’s some minor darkening on the inner lip of the rim, but I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Having come to us through our trade-in program from a high-grade collector, the pipe also comes with its original leather sleeve.

 

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.70 / 17.78mm

Bowl Depth: 1.26″ / 32.0mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 46g