Martelo: Smooth Billiard 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, cheeked 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 and accentuating its presence at the fore. The stummel is dressed in a rich auburn contrast stain, highlighting an extremely dense and remarkably vibrant pattern of flame and straight grain wrapping around the bowl, with the top and underside populated by pinpricks of swirling birdseye. Despite the rather intense coloration of the stummel, its pairing to a jet-black stem lends the entire composition a rather classic appeal, with a timeless palette that's sure to be a favorite in any collection.