David Huber: Sandblasted Blowfish (3522) Tobacco Pipe

David S. Huber has made pipes full-time since 2014, receiving guidance along the way from the likes of Jeff Gracik, Nanna Ivarsson, and Alex Florov. Huber draws inspiration from the work of Danish and Japanese pipe makers, incorporating his own aesthetic vision to create pipes that are entirely his own. This Blowfish is a distinctive interpretation of the popular artisan shape, well in line with Huber's singular style.

The bowl features flattened flanks, with a fore and aft characterized by firm ridgelines that push out and up the walls, coming to two firm points at the rim. The bowl rests pertly at the end of a wide oval shank that mirrors the ridges and planes of the bowl, allowing the lines to run from the rim down the middle of the shank. The semi-paneled construction also runs from bowl to shank, and culminates in the stem. The hand-cut vulcanite stem takes the ridges and planes and incorporates them into its saddle design, allowing the lines to meet without breaking up the form, creating a seamless piece that speaks to Huber's impressive talents.

The stummel is dressed in a high-contrast sandblast, revealing impeccably textured growth rings around the bowl and shank, all finished in a rich ochre and black stain, creating a deeply organic aesthetic in this one-of-a-kind piece.