Smooth Boxwood Erotique with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Born in Osaka, Japan, Reiichi "Ray" Kurusu first encountered pipe culture when, in 2011, he decided to visit the Tokyo Pipe Fest. There, Ray met legendary pipe-maker Hiroyuki Tokutomi and was entranced by the master and his craft. Soon, Tokutomi began mentoring Ray in the art of pipe making, and Ray quickly discovered that his future lay in carving briar. Although Tokutomi is clearly one of Ray's primary influences, he also admires the work of Bo Nordh, Jess Chonowitsch, the Ivarssons, and Kei-ichi Gotoh. Much of Ray's work possess robust bowls paired to either stout or elongated shanks, using dramatic proportions to accentuate a piece's muscular, willowy, or balanced features. However, Kurusu occasionally lends his talents to unique Freehands that push the boundaries of pipe-making convention.

A shape first pioneered by Jørn Micke, the Erotique plays into the more suggestive and whimsical elements of pipe smoking. It is a shape Ray Kurusu crafts quite frequently, but this particular Erotique stands out from Kurusu's other renditions as it is crafted from boxwood. Boxwood possesses similar smoking qualities to briar, however, it showcases a starkly different grain pattern and color palette. The voluptuous boxwood bowl showcases a striking pattern of comprehensive cross grain, the unbroken, undulating, concentric tendrils encircling the bowl from aft to fore. The fair, champagne hues of the bowl join to a lithe stretch of blonde bamboo, its arrow-straight form supplemented by four rugged knuckles that give this smooth pipe a rustic flourish. A subtle boxwood ring at the shank end makes the transition to the stem seamless, and it surrounds the bamboo mortise that joins to a metal tenon, increasing the durability of this piece. Furthermore, the evocative stem base presents an ovoid parallel to the bowl's construction, while it is topped off by a slim saddle that provides a superbly comfortable clench.