Smooth Tokutomi Volcano (4723) Tobacco Pipe

David Huber is an American carver who takes inspiration from the Danish and Japanese pipe-making traditions, and as such, his work tends be quite organic, prioritizing sculpted lines and precise shaping. Huber began making pipes full-time in 2014 and received guidance in his early days from carvers like Jeff Gracik, Nanna Ivarsson, and Alex Florov.

This Tokutomi Volcano is a fine example of Huber's appreciation for the Japanese masters, named in honor of Hiroyuki Tokutomi, among the foremost carvers of that country. The proportions on display are quite robust, featuring a bowl that dominates the rest of the composition, its thick walls tapering gently from a broad heel to a thick, asymmetrical rim which features an inner bevel that mirrors the contours of the outer edge. Said heel is defined by a field of craggy plateau which travels the length of a unique shank that curls out of the bowl like a fish's tail, itself defined by crisp ridgelines that begin where the shank connects to the bowl: continuing through the excavated transition and final, fin-like flare where the shank joins a a hand-carved saddle stem of black vulcanite. Dressed in a rich walnut finish, the stummel boasts impeccable flame grain around the bowl, while the rim is engulfed in birdseye, mirroring the rugged plateau along the heel.