Here's a very different sort of unfinished pipe from the last time I mentioned them. Previous sandblasts that I've shown and discussed here in an unfinished (meaning, without wax or shellac or any protective gloss - essentially, bare matte wood) have all been unstained also. But, it's perfectly possible to stain a pipe for enhanced contrast, and still leave it matte rather than applying any sort of final stain color or gloss finish. That's what this pipe is at the moment - It has a simple base stain for surface texture contrast, but no gloss at all. What does everyone think?
At the moment this pipe is still matte, neither waxed nor shellacked. I haven't decided whether to leave it this way or to gloss it, but if anyone wants to purchase it, they can decide how they'd like it finished. Right now it is available. It's a grade 3B, 415 €, and is a very nice bit of briar, with a big group 5+ bowl. The pics don't show it well, but I went to some trouble to keep the grain of the cumberland stem sections matched and properly aligned. Anyone wishing to buy it should email me. As to the shape, this is my idea of a classical bent billiard, and I'm not at all ashamed that it might hark a wee bit back to:
