The Pipe of the Voyageurs is a pipe designed for wilderness exploration. The inspiration for the design comes from the Voyageurs, who were those engaged in hauling furs in the Canadian wild during the fur trade era.
Learn more about the Voyageurs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyageurs
From the article Through the Lens of History: French: The working language in the West, by Jean Delisle
“The voyageurs paddled 15 to 18 hours a day while remaining in good spirits. Every four or five kilometres, they took a break to relax and smoke a pipe. The distance covered between stops ended up being called a pipe. Incidentally, voyageurs always had a pipe with them and are generally depicted with one.”
In the style of the pipes most often painted into the mouths of the Voyageurs, this design is mean’t to be small, durable, and lightweight, perfect for fitting into a hiking pack or inside pocket.
The bowl is made from African blackwood, which shares the same durability and moisture resistant qualities of the bamboo stem. The custom pouch is made from reclaimed leather.
The Pipe of Urushi
My recent obsession with the art of Japanese lacquer inspired me to create this pipe, The Pipe of Urushi, crafted around a minimalist aesthetic that captures the look and feel of lacquer-ware. The bowl is modeled after a rice bowl, and the bamboo stem has been carefully smoked over a wood fire to emulate the rich brown hues of cured raw Urushi sap, the main ingredient in Japanese lacquer.
The simple design is void of tool marks that would reveal my crafting process, giving the pipe a sense of refinement. Though, I have chosen to leave the natural bamboo shoots intact, to serve as a subtle reminder of the pipes origin in nature.
And lastly, please visit my new blog, updated daily! For all sorts of fun pipe related stuff, all original content. http://blog.dmpipes.com/