I enjoy having the pipe as a product of the tastes of the member who worked on it, but I'm with you on the Zulu shape. Along similar lines a Cutty with an interesting stem material could be neat as well.I concede your point, something unique is fine, perhaps a style not usually done by the artist in question? I'm hoping that some year we might see a Zulu. I think I've had my fill of stubby pipes, no matter how well they are made, and they all have been fine smokers.
Having 1 of twenty-something of the only (insert shape here) ever carved by so and so, does add some uniqueness to the pipe. That said, I tend to agree with you. A part of me always thought we'd missed the boat by not having his Hexagon Calabash as one of the Tinsky pipes.My only thought on that is why? You pick a maker that is known for one thing and ask him to do something completely different? I would argue to find a maker that specializes in what is required.