Sandblasted Tadpole with Mammoth and Hornbeam Tobacco Pipe

There are few Portuguese pipe makers, unless there's a hidden population I'm unaware of. The only two I know are Joao Reis, whom I have met, and Sabina Santos, whom I have not. However, Sabina's pipes speak for themselves, as you may readily see in the example of this Tadpole. I don't know how anyone might have the patience to carve a piece like this, but I admire it. The shank is Hornbeam, a hardwood that's notoriously difficult for woodworkers because of its density and hardness, though that's probably not an issue for anyone accustomed to working with briar. The Hornbeam reveals the straight grain of the species in a pale hue, perfect for contrasting the black curling tail of this Tadpole.

At the end of the shank is a wide fitment of stabilized mammoth, gently expanding before introducing the flat, saddle mouthpiece. The bowl flows upward in organic fashion from the tail, vertically oval with two offset ridgelines, one on each side that rise up toward the rim. For those looking for something different from the usual, made with the most sophisticated tolerances of modern pipes, this Santos Tadpole is a piece to give ample consideration.