Here we have a briar calabash with a twist, both figuratively and literally. To start with, there's the gorgeous boxwood top, beautifully formed, wrapped round the briar tobacco chamber, and fitted to the gorgeously finished briar "gourd" with an o-ring for a secure, air-tight fit. Then, there's the subtle asymmetry formed by a pair of seams along the sides and along the lower hemisphere, the right seam folded over to offer both visual and tactual interest, terminating in a cats-eye shank cross-section. The result is a compact handful with all sorts of appeal. The stem is characteristically Ailarov, elegant, comfortable. An exceptional pipe.

GLP