Flávia Rodrigues: Sandblasted Brandy with Horn Tobacco Pipe

Drawing much of her pipe-making inspiration from the natural world, Flávia Rodrigues produces pipes with a slightly organic appeal that are still steeped in traditional shaping cues. Take this Brandy for example, the arrow straight shank and stem combine stoically with the firm-heeled, tapering bowl up front, yet the Brazilian carver has fitted a ferrule of natural horn at the shank end, imbuing the piece with a decidedly rustic motif especially when combined with the textured sandblast of the stummel. Said finish showcases a stunning array of deeply set, grooved ring grain that testifies to Flávia's diligent tutelage under Martelo's Gustavo Cunha. It also displays her penchant for the Danish tradition — the tapered bowl being topped with a warm-stained, smooth polished rim contrasted against the stummel's dark stain, though the blast is certainly much deeper and craggier than many a Danish rendition of the same finish.