Smooth Opera Tobacco Pipe

A woodworker from a young age, Gustavo Cunha has a background in crafting everything from furniture to bows and arrows. Eventually his skills and passions led him to study under legendary pipe artisans like Tom Eltang and Chris Asteriou. In 2014, Cunha founded the Martelo workshop, which now crafts a wide range of pieces, from Anglo-French shape-chart standards to eccentric Freehands, the former displayed along this smooth Opera. Historically, Opera pipes were compact enough to fit into pockets while the smoker enjoyed the theater, lending them their namesake. This rendition from Martelo offers that slender profile all while maintaining a respectable tobacco chamber, ensuring you don't have to sacrifice smoking time. The bowl is crafted in the Opera's signature oval silhouette, appearing almost Pot-like from the side. Cheeking around the transition gives way to a gradually tapering shank-and-stem arrangement, adding to the sleekness of this lean pipe. The mouthpiece showcases the red and black hues of rich cumberland, its pigment pairing perfectly with the ruby-stained stummel. The grain on this piece is magnificent, with dense patches of birdseye displayed across the bowl's flanks while flicks of cross grain make the underside look like the pelt of a tiger.