Sandblasted Long Shank Stack (Hoplite)

Long, tall, slightly rounded bowl perched neatly on a very muscular, arrow-straight shank-and-stem combination. Cheeking at the transition and a softly inflated rim nod to Danish shaping traditions, while the shank feels very much iconic of a modern American pipe design.

A medium-depth sandblast and rich, earthy stain put the briar's dense cross grain pattern on full display, a feat accomplished in uniformity not just on the bowl but all the way up the elongated shank. The rim has been left smooth and stained lighter for contrast, matched by a bespoke stem base of briar. A split stem is a unique touch that few artisans attempt, but Todd incorporates it so seamlessly here that it creates a visual trick: when my eye travels up the shank, I think the accent is part of the stummel, but when I come from the lip button it is clearly part of the stem. This is one heck of a fine pipe, a striking example of Todd's mastery of the craft that will turn heads from across the room, or, given its impressive dimensions, the parking lot.