marTelo: Smooth Billiard with Brass Tobacco Pipe

Gustavo Cunha's interest in woodworking began as a teen, when he made English bows and arrows from scratch, an impressive feat, especially since he was only 15. After studying furniture design in college, the Brazilian artisan, like many of his peers, began crafting Freehands and giving them to friends. A meeting with Tom Eltang further spurred an interest in creating pipes as a career. Today, the Martelo carver plies his trade full-time, his portfolio ranging from classic shapes to more eclectic designs.

Displaying a striking profile, this Billiard combines traditional and modern aesthetics. The bowl is slightly rounded, with a suppleness that hints at Danish influences, displaying the subtlest of tapers toward the rim. The heel, too, is curvaceous, while the low-set transition helps accentuate the bowl's height. Gustavo has paired the pert bowl to a pencil-thin shank and slender, fish-tail stem, the sleekness contrasting the bowl's height. The stummel is dressed in a rich auburn contrast stain, highlighting gorgeous freckles of birdseye on both flanks, while cross grain graces the fore and aft. That coloration pairs remarkably well with a gleaming brass accent at the shank end, enlivening the composition and adding a playful dash of flash.