Smooth Pierced Coma Fugu with Masur Birch and Horn Tobacco Pipe

American artisan Brighton James de los Santos boasts a highly distinctive style that blurs the line between fine smoking instruments and fine art. His portfolio is replete with highly sculptural, avant-garde Freehands, and this Pierced Coma Fugu falls seamlessly in line with the artisan's usual, visually striking fare.

The bowl of this Fugu is framed by fluid, asymmetrical ridgelines, from the twisting rim to the crisply pointed heel. The confluence of grain and shaping is truly something to behold, with the birdseye and cross grain falling seamlessly in line with every curve and facet of the bowl's dynamic shaping. Moreover, the grain is impeccable to begin with: dense, clear, and accentuated by a smooth, chestnut finish. More stunning grain can be found throughout the masur birch component of this piece, which takes on a swift, energetic curve and creates a lovely bit of negative space between itself and the bowl. The two elements appear to be pierced, as the pipe's name suggests, by a horn mount that flares elegantly as it approaches the stem. Said stem sports a similarly flaring expansion disc that, with the mount, establishes a pleasing visual rhythm. The elongated, arcing mouthpiece offers a comfortable smoking posture, and the bowl's curved fore rests comfortably in the hand. For the connoisseur of bold, highly sculptural pipes, this stunning offering isn't one to be missed.