J. Alan: Smooth Whiplash with Bamboo and Ivorite (2172) (with Stand) 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.

American artisan Jeff Gracik boasts an intricate style honed over two decades of carving experience. This Whiplash is among his most dynamic, expressive works, presenting a silhouette unlike any pipe we've received from him in the past. Shape-wise, this piece is essentially a highly stylized take on the Elephant's Foot carved to display an extremely refined asymmetry from every perspective, and it's a remarkably engaging pipe that's full of minute detail. Originally designed by Bo Nordh, the Elephant's Foot is defined by a defined panel that wraps around from the left flank to the right flank of the bowl and separates the bowl's fore and aft sections. This pipe maintains that design's iconic shaping elements, though its shaping through the shank and stem are wildly different than more archetypal iterations of the form, and its bowl is styled to further emphasize these differences.

The bowl of this pipe is split into twin domes at the fore and aft by the aforementioned wrapping panel through the center, originating from a chamfered, ovoid rim that's slanted to the right. A single firm ridge defines the edges of the rim, and the wrapping panel drapes over the sides of this rim, its own ridges making an easy taper through both sides to form a thin panel through the underside. The ovoid shape of the rim is an echo of the bowl's contours, as both the fore and aft sides bow out from their frames and reach toward the right and left, respectively, cultivating an organic feel in hand. The overt organicism of this pipe is further underlined by the bowl's lift at the right and slight dip at the left, with this dip situated near both the transition and the aft side dome's outward push. This transition gives way to a short shank that tapers swiftly to meet a lengthy stretch of bamboo numbering ten knuckles of the dense grass. This bamboo is instrumental in the shape's success, as it bestows this pipe with a vivacious asymmetry, lifting subtly toward the stem while taking on a steep curve to the left. Complex lines such as these are difficult to balance throughout an entire composition, though Gracik has achieved this feat easily by virtue of the shank and stem's length and animated demeanor. What's more, Gracik has developed a defined central line that runs through this piece from a smoker's perspective, with the bowed sections of the bowl continuing these lines through the fore. The knuckles of the bamboo shank extension are tightly packed near the briar, becoming further apart as they near the stem, with the final knuckle starting a slight taper to meet the stem at an Ivorite junction band and matching accent at the stem base. Said stem flares out at its base before dipping into its demurely downturned saddle bit, and this base is oriented at a jaunty angle that matches the organic look of the bamboo while keeping the rhythm natural, being spaced further out than previous knuckles.

This pipe is finished in a light, rich, auburn-hued stain that unveils a pattern of dense cross grain that perfectly follows the bowl's framing panel, showcasing an especially thin strip of grain through the underside. Both the fore and aft domes of the bowl are awash with remarkably dense birdseye, especially at the fore, and this exceptionally well-developed grain is no surprise given Gracik's precision. The stem's black vulcanite adds a bit of dark contrast, while the bamboo and Ivorite create a basin of pale tones at the center of the pipe that emphasizes the presence of the bowl's rich finish. It wasn't enough that Gracik created a truly exceptional pipe, no, he also built a streamlined and aerodynamic stand that holds this pipe by the bit. The stand is made from two kinds of wood, and it's been faceted across nearly all of its surfaces, with the edges sanded into soft bevels.