I know, I know, I just had my allotted vanity post. But, this one is more about Mark Tinsky's work. Yeh, yeh, I made the band. But, I had the honor of making the bands for his 40th Anniversary line. One of the batch he sent me was this beautiful morta. So, I bought that one... this one. I loved the smooth bent shape. Usually, I don't go for bents, but this one just felt right in hand and hang. Plus, I don't have a morta. I've heard good and bad about morta. Worst, I heard that it has an odd aroma. But, just smelling cold wood, it isn't bad. But, I've yet to smell it warmed with tobacco.
So, I textured the sterling, and I added a piece of gemmy Kingman turquoise. I have cut some mediocre turquoise, but this batch has some transparency, which you don't see very often, and it's very hard. Just a heads up, most turquoise out there is crap. It is very rare to get hold of this gemmy turquoise, but I do get lucky buying rough from time to time. I also added a liver of sulfur to start an oxidation to blacken the sterling, and then stopped the process and polishing up the high points for contrast.
Anyways... I am excited to smoke this one. And, yes... I will be breaking it in with Syrian Latakia... McClelland's Rose of Latakia, which uses it as a very light condiment, which compliments the Red Virginias very well, giving it a touch of spice, smokiness, and a light floral aroma.
Anyways again... here's that pipe... my first morta...
Mark has told me that I could send it back to him to have him restamp it, since we knew that I would be covering up the nomenclature, but it doesn't bother me. It has one of his stars... which I made also, ha ha. I don't plan on ever selling it, so... plus... I am anxious to fire this baby up.
Anyways... I just wanted toshare show off... ha ha.
So, I textured the sterling, and I added a piece of gemmy Kingman turquoise. I have cut some mediocre turquoise, but this batch has some transparency, which you don't see very often, and it's very hard. Just a heads up, most turquoise out there is crap. It is very rare to get hold of this gemmy turquoise, but I do get lucky buying rough from time to time. I also added a liver of sulfur to start an oxidation to blacken the sterling, and then stopped the process and polishing up the high points for contrast.
Anyways... I am excited to smoke this one. And, yes... I will be breaking it in with Syrian Latakia... McClelland's Rose of Latakia, which uses it as a very light condiment, which compliments the Red Virginias very well, giving it a touch of spice, smokiness, and a light floral aroma.
Anyways again... here's that pipe... my first morta...
Mark has told me that I could send it back to him to have him restamp it, since we knew that I would be covering up the nomenclature, but it doesn't bother me. It has one of his stars... which I made also, ha ha. I don't plan on ever selling it, so... plus... I am anxious to fire this baby up.
Anyways... I just wanted to
