Bill Shalosky: Sandblasted Bamboo Cavalier (735) Tobacco Pipe

Since 2015, Smokingpipes has held the American Pipe Making Exposition, a celebration of America's finest artisans who gather together a bespoke selection of their best work, all revolving around a central theme. For 2024, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Expo, Smokingpipes has expanded participation to include entrants from around the world in what will henceforth be known as the Global Pipe Making Exposition. Fittingly, 2024's theme is bamboo, the same as the first Expo, and it's an opportunity for carvers worldwide to show off their most inventive, innovative compositions.

It's rather seldom that we see works from Bill Shalosky that include bamboo, and the Cavalier is a shape we've never seen from him before, making this heavily bamboo-accented Cavalier a true rarity for enthusiasts of Shalosky's work. This particular iteration of the shape is an especially unique one, as it infuses the silhouette with an overtly organic look, leveraging its bamboo to create a pipe that's both sculptural and natural. The main briar components are the bowl and the body, with the latter comprising a compact, T-shaped tube that fits two lengths of bamboo and the bowl, with all three pieces fitting to this body via mortise and tenon arrangement: the lowermost bit of bamboo acting as a moisture cap and making this a functional piece. Since every part of this pipe is connected with a matching mortise and tenon, each piece can be arranged in any way the smoker sees fit, making this pipe both customizable and interactive. The bowl is a plump, pert, and supple structure with a subtle bit of flare about its walls, and it stands on a short, shank-like extension of briar that holds its tenon. In silhouette, the bowl is reminiscent of both the Billiard and the Apple, and its thick walls rise to a fairly broad rim covered in a dense crown of plateau. Of the two bamboo segments, one is straight and the other is curved, with the former comprising three knuckles and holding the stem and the latter comprising four more tightly-packed knuckles. When arranged so both pieces are oriented opposite each other and perpendicular to the bowl, the curled bamboo can actually support the weight of this pipe and balance the entire structure stably: allowing this pipe to be displayed or rested whenever necessary. Dressed in a crisp sandblast and a rich contrast stain, the stummel reveals beautiful grain, with both the bowl and joint displaying ring grain flowing down their surfaces. Additionally, Shalosky has expertly matched the stain with the bamboo, creating a unified and cohesive palette that's endlessly charming.