This pipe reminds me in many ways of a Castello 65 bent billiard -
http://www.parklanetobacconist.com/webs ... ts_id=1942
If you knocked an inch off the top you'd be into that territory. The Castello shape also features a really tall and wide bowl/shank transition which does a lot of things, visually. One, it makes the pipe a little more balanced given just how much wood the bowl is left with, it gives it more curve than a Dunhill-type bent billiard, driving the thing "Italian" rather than "English" in nature.
Like the Castello, the lines of the stem and shank are not particularly continuous - it gives the impression of more sanding being done at that joint than elsewhere. This is a constant presence on Castellos, and I don't know if it's intentional or just lazy on their part. Certainly none of the master level pipes I've looked at would consider it a feature to have such a difference in angle between stem and shank. So look at the line along the bottom of the pipe for example - it kind of swoops in a bit at the joint rather than offering a single S-curve from button to bowl.
Sitter aside, often pipes of this shape look a little more refined if you leave a bit more material on the heel, putting the visual balance of the bottom of the pipe a little further back. If you look at most bent pipes, the lowest point does not occur at the center of the bowl, but 1/2" or so behind that. Castello gets away from this more than any other brand - if you look at their bent pipes, the 65 and the 97 in particular, they are often done with a pretty heavy bottom/front. Gives them a really serious presence but detracts from the overall lines, arguably. (I would also argue that the physical balance is better on pipes with some heel weight).
I don't know if it's just the angle of the photo or not, but your stem looks really thick at the bit. What are you using to cut the slot?
I like the barky texture and your staining looks nice - subdued and contemplative.
