Rakowski Commissioned Piece Gallery

These pieces were commissioned by my clients.

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Ebony & Antler Business Card Holder
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I made this piece for a very good friend of mine. The body is Gabon ebony, inlaid with the initials: K.S.. The sides are gold leaf. The card holder is antler with brass hardware.

Ultimate Pipe Tamper
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I call this the ultimate pipe tamper because everything about it is the absolute best material. The client actually designed this and chose the materials. This was a really enjoyable project for me.

  • The hardware is Titanium with the exception of the thread, that is brass.
  • The body: genuine buffalo horn.
  • The cabochon: Mammoth Ivory
  • Metal section accent on the horn: Rhodium plated
  • Tamper end: Titanium with decorative filing (jimping)

Titanium Pipe Tamper
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All titanium pipe tamper with the exception of the brass threaded section and insert. Length: 3.5 inches

Pipe tamper & Cigar Poker set
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Here is a pipe tamper and cigar poker set I made for a gentleman not too long ago. The material is:

  • body: musical instrument grade ebony
  • tamper hardware: Titanium
  • Cigar poker hardware: Titanium and Surgical grade stainless steel
  • Decoration: Sterling silver on both sides of the ebony.

Mammoth Ivory GIANT Shaving Set
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I was very fortunate to have some rather large ivory tusk pieces. The inlay was in turquoise. The brush was 26mm knot Super Badger BIG!

Burl & Titanium pipe tamper
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This piece was commissioned for a client. The tamper body is Redwood burl inlaid with a Lapis Lazuli lightning motif. The tamper hardware is aerospace grade Titanium with brass (threading). Length: 2.75 inches

"Ergo" Superbadger Brush 30mm
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 This Brush is a special order. lead time to completion is about one month.

 

This is one of my favorite designs! The handle is 15,000 year old Mammoth Ivory (top), Pink Ivory (middle section), and Kingwood (bottom section). Completely carved freehand, the shape you see is impossible to be fabricated on a lathe. This is where you see the calibre of my work at its finest!

 

Small "powder" mirror
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I made this "powder" mirror (4.5" diameter) out of macassar wood, the back of it I inlaid with the initials: "KS" in an Art Deco motif fashion. The inlay is composed of:

  • Coral
  • Lapis Lazuli
  • Gold Dust
  • Jade
  • Abalone
  • Turquoise

2004 Chicago Pipe Show Pipe Tamper
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This pipe tamper was specially made for the 2004 Chicago pipe show. The height of this piece was 3 inches. The body was custom cast celluloid, the tamper end and ring (engraved: Chicago 2004) are sterling silver. The end piece is instrument grade ebony with a Swarovski crystal added as a final touch. This tamper was auctioned off,

Greek Olive Wood & Buffalo tamper
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This pipe tamper you see was inspired by a client. The basic design idea was his, I refined it a bit to give it more harmony. This tamper is made from Greek Olive Wood, Stainless steel, Brass, and Water Buffalo Horn. The height is 3-1/4 inches, the stainless tamper end is 1/2-inch diameter. Incorporating the stainless into the black horn was challenging because the alignment had to be just right!

Mammoth Ivory, Amber, & Water Buffalo Horn pipe tamper
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Now this was a fun & challenging project! I crafted the tamper body out of 15,000 year old Mammoth Ivory. The tamper end and pick is brass (1/2-inch diameter). Overall tamper length is 3-1/4 inch. This breathtaking tamper is crowned with Baltic Amber and Black Water Buffalo Horn. This tamper is without a doubt, in a class all by itself!

Bolivian Rosewood Peppermill
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The material was Bolivian Rosewood for this peppermill. The overall height was 10 inches. A very nice "stout" item designed to last a lifetime. Created for a very well known international gourmet in Chicago

Kingwood & Mammoth Ivory wine bottle stopper
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This wine bottle stopper was crafted from a solid block of Kingwood and finished with 15,000 year old Mammoth Ivory. Custom made for a very influential wine enthusiast in Chicago (and friend).

Mammoth Ivory and Tamarind Magnifyer
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The material was 15,000 year old mammoth ivory with an ebony spacer, the handle was stabilized Tamarind wood. This bespoke piece was created for a European Parlament politician.

Swarovski perfume atomiser
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A wonderful Swarovski crystal set in exhibition grade Cocobolo wood. The hardware is gold plated. This item was commissioned by a gentleman for his wife in Monaco.

"Flow" pipe tamper
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I created this item for an individual who has conquered life's challenges including Mt Everest.