Martelo pipes first hit our site back in March, and so far, we've been really impressed. The fusion of Greek neo-classical, Danish, and Gustavo's own unique style really comes out in each and every piece. Recently, Shane sat down with Gustavo Cunha to ask a few questions about himself and his Martelo brand.

Where are you from?

I'm from Brazil, Minas Gerais State (the rocky, mountainous part of the country). I lived all my life in a Portuguese colonial village called Diamantina — the central hub for Brazil and Portugal's gold and diamond history.

It's a very old, small town, possibly dating back to the 18th century, and most of the people there are Portuguese. Most of my family, in fact, are Portuguese. Diamantina is so magical, beautiful, and old! The people are so kind, and the mountains and stones (which inspire my rustications and designs) are always on the horizon. There seems to be mystery everywhere. Ghosts from the past. Waterfalls. Haunted places. I really loved growing up there.

Where do you live?

Today, I live in Belo Horizonte, the main city of my state. I came here originally to study at the Design University of Minas Gerias — first focusing on Interior Design, and then going on to receive my masters in Furniture Design. I currently live in a small '50s home, with gardens and green everywhere. I love to take care of my plants with my pipe. It's good to keep nature around... living, green.

What's your age and some of your other interests besides pipes?

I'm 27 years old, a wood and nature lover, furniture designer, Brazilian design researcher, guitar player, and now, as my main occupation, a Pipe Maker!

When and why did you start making pipes?

How did I begin to make pipes? To explain that, I will have to tell you a little bit about my history and background. You see, I love working with wood. I've been working with the medium since I was 15 years old, making traditional English bows and arrows.

After my teenage years, I decided to continue my passion for woodwork. So today, I'm a master designer in furniture design. I made my first pipe when I was in my second year at university, using a briar block, pre-cut stem, and a drill with sanding disks. It was a terrible piece, by the way.

It was after my graduation, when I worked on furniture fabric for four years, that I had the first chance to use some professional machinery designed for woodworking. It was then that I made my first "good" pipe, using a band saw, a horizontal drill, and a sanding disk.

In that period, now two years ago, some friends asked me to make pipes for them. So I began making pipes, most of the Freehand designs, with the occasional classic shape — but all at very low production. At the time, I was working at a fabric design office, and time just didn't really allow for more fluid pipe making.

And then, in October of 2013, I visited Tom Eltang. Everything changed after meeting him and actually being in his workshop. My desire and passion after that was to dive into pipe making and further my knowledge of briar, design, and finishes, so that my efforts and finished work could bring some happiness to the the world. With that as my goal, in November of 2013, I bought a lathe and set up a simple workshop at my home. Then, in May of 2014, I decided to leave my regular work at the design office and devote my time and energy to making pipes in my own workshop.

I make pipes because I believe in the pipe smoking lifestyle. My objective is to offer a pipe with soul, a living object, a piece that will bring happiness and calmness to my clients and friends... my lifetime friends.

Do you smoke a pipe?

Of course, I'm a pipe smoker! I have been since I was 18 years old. I only smoke Virginia blends. Some of my favorites are Dark Bird's Eye from Gawith Hoggarth, Orlik Golden Sliced, and Union Square from G.L. Pease.

What style of pipe design do you enjoy the most? Danish? English? Japanese?

After visiting Chris Asteriou and Konstantinos Anastasopoulos in Greece for two weeks back in October of last year, I really fell in love with classic English designs. Chris's designs are so amazing that I could not refuse to study that school. Of course, as a Brazilian furniture designer, I try to incorporate a spice from that area in my lines and proportions — most of them modernist and tropical.

By the way, I also got the opportunity to visit Makis Minetos, one of the finest briar cutters out there. I even personally hand-selected a huge bag of briar together with Chris at the Makis mill in Patras. As a side note, I also use Mimmo briar, and I got to personally select a lot of pieces as well during my visit to Rome.

Meeting Makis, Chris, and Konstantinos changed a lot of my work, for the better I think! Being in Chris's workshop was magical. He, as well as I, tries everytime to blend soul and form to the piece. I believe that's the way to make "living" pieces, special objects.

Why did you choose the name Martelo for your pipes?

MarTelo is my design brand. I decided to keep that name for my pipes, because everyone loves it here in Brazil. MarTelo, in Portuguese, means hammer, and the "T" represents it.