Flávia Rodrigues: Sandblasted Bent Brandy with Bamboo and Copper Tobacco Pipe

Driven by an urge to create and inspired by the work of her partner Gustavo Cunha, of MarTelo pipes, Flávia Rodrigues has blossomed into an artisan pipe maker of her own right. After being taught form, function, technique, and tooling by Cunha, Rodrigues set out carving on her own, her works influenced by the likes of Hans "Former" Nielsen, Chris Asteriou, and Tom Eltang. Her deep appreciation for nature provides additional inspiration for her work, and that is something that can be readily seen in this bent Brandy.

This is quite a special piece for us here at Smokingpipes, as it's the first pipe we've seen from Rodrigues to feature bamboo, though it's not the first one she's ever crafted. Said bamboo comprises a sinuously upturned length of three knuckles fitted to a trim shank via a thin band of copper. This copper band actually continues a natural divot present in the dense grass and this fusion of the organic with metal doesn't end here, as three of the large nodes at each of the knuckles have been capped with copper. Further establishing her talent here is the slight asymmetry of the bamboo itself, curving slightly to the right, which Flávia has compensated for in the shaping of the shank and the stem, placing the button and draft hole directly in line with the chamber. Said shank and stem also continue the rhythm of the knuckles here, with the shank tapering out of the transition and the stem's base asymmetrically flaring before the bit, stylistically implying a further two knuckles of the dense grass through shaping alone. The bowl here is broad-based and low-profile, its low-set waistline sitting atop a rounded section of briar before the walls take on an arcing upward taper to the rim. This slight rounding of form lends it a comfortable feel in hand and the wide transition leaves plenty of room to drape a digit, the surfaces of the stummel treated with a crisp tanblast that unveils stacks of growth rings through the bowl, its hues matching with the copper and complementing the bamboo as it provides ample texture for the fingers to explore.