HS Studio Fumed Sandblasted Volcano Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

About this pipe:

If you’ve been keeping up with the world of Chinese pipe making, their artisan scene has been really taking off over the last decade. Like the great Danish institutions of old, many of these pipes are produced in artisan workshops such as Zhiputang, Qi Studio, and GH Zhang. Hong Kong’s HS Studio follows a similar model, with a team of expert in-house carvers crafting high-quality briars in a variety of styles.

The volcano is by no means a new shape, and fumed finishes are similarly an old, established motif (even older if we count African meerschaum). Yet despite the long history of the two, I think this might just be the first fumed volcano shape I’ve ever seen. It’s a little odd, now that I think about it, as of all the shapes a pipe could be, it’s the volcano that would make most sense to fume. This one comes from Hong Kong’s HS Studio, and to MBSD Pipes from a local pipe store liquidation. It’s certainly got a Danish-American influence behind it, but that extra addition of a fumed rim—as if the volcano is actually going off—gives it a little something extra.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It comes with its original sleeve. I notice a slight briar imperfection at the shank end, but it’s just a knot in the wood. Nothing to be concerned about, especially with the extra mount.

Details:

Length: 5.5″ / 139.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.75 / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 0.91″ / 23.11mm

Weight: 1.0oz / 30g