Smooth Oyster Tobacco Pipe

Take a glance at the photos of this pipe. Now you are probably going to tell me that you haven't seen a blowfish cavalier that exuded Moscow Baroque style, aren't you? Well, that makes two of us, for Russian-American master Alex Florov has never concentrated his formidable talents on the shape.until now.

Truth be told, no other carver in the world could have created this composition other than Alex, for Alex's shaping methods are unlike any other carver out there. A quick and obvious example would be that all critical center panel. The back of that panel, above the shank is pretty much "according to Hoyle". But look at the liquid whip of the front of that same panel, and the way it wraps around the front heel of the bowl, in precariously close proximity to the foot. No disc sander, the foremost shaping weapon in most pipe carver's tool set, can do that. Can't be done. But a sculptor can achieve that with a chisel and fine file work, and Alex Florov is a pipe sculptor. The myriad of complex, seemingly impossible compound angles could fascinate for hours.and that's just the terminus of the center bevel. Glorious birdseye and bit work that could set new standards. I have been watching the progress of this pipe from sketchings and photos of the work in progress. This pipe has been worth the wait.

--Bear Graves