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ELEGANT SMOKING PIPES
My pipes are made of briar - a wood from the root burl of a Mediterranean shrub that is cut into 2” x 3” x 4” blocks with the rubbly exterior “shell” of the burl exposed on some blocks. I select those so I can use that intricate natural texture as a foil to the carved surfaces of a pipe. I either create a sculpture around a pipe, or put a pipe “inside” of a sculpture - take your pick. I want any sculptured edges to be just this side of sharp enough to cut your finger, and the smooth surfaces to be silky - that takes several days of final hand sanding with paper up to 600 grit. All pipes are made to be smoked, can rest upright in one or two positions, and have shapes intended for the user’s hand to caress contemplatively.
Each pipe comes in its own green wool, silk-lined pouch. CARE: Pipes need no particular care but do take on additional luster from being stroked with the user’s natural facial oil, if the owner has oily skin.