Emiliano: Sandblasted Pickaxe with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Brazilian carver Emanuel de Queiroz Emiliano crafts a wide range of pipes, from unique, sculpture-inspired Freehands to more traditional shape-chart standards, with this Pickaxe being an example of the latter. As one might expect from the shape, this piece boasts a stocky bowl that flares from its pointed heel to its broad rim. The aforementioned heel is orientated toward the transition, with this placement and the bowl's sharply curved and subtly raised fore wall imbuing the overall form with a dramatic forward cant. Mirroring the heel's angularity, the shank kicks high and positions two knuckles of bamboo at a steep incline. The shank-and-stem arrangement's sharp gradient evokes the look of old-school Danish designs, particularly those with a check-mark style of silhouette. The bamboo adds a warmth to the shape's otherwise muted palette, while a crisp, earthy sandblast dresses the rest of the stummel and draws out a mixture of rippling grain and rugged birdseye.