Cannabis is no longer just for the ‘stoner’ stereotypes.
The days of gifting hippie and/or Jamaican themed pipes and bongs to your pot-smoking friend in good jest is just plain old-fashioned at this point in the game.
Avoid the conundrum of finding the cannabis user in your life a gift for the holidaze – and consider shopping Hollow.
Their ceramic pipes are artistic, hand-crafted, and unique.
“Our designs are inspired by Scandinavian furnishings, and Japanese wabi-sabi ceramics,” said the designer, Britta Ambauen.
The clean lines and natural curves, smooth textures and ergonomic shapes are sure to make any art lover swoon.
Functional art
The chillums range in shape from the ‘faceted stone’ which comfortably fits in your hand – to the block shaped ‘corner stone’.
The process:
- Each design starts as a hand-formed design in clay at our studio in Austin, TX. We strive to make shapes that feel good to hold, combine clean lines and organic curves. The smooth surface texture is burnished with finger tips.
- The finished form, or model, is sent to our slip casting company in Waterford, Pennsylvania. There, the models are molded, and the finished pieces are slip cast by hand.
- The pipes are returned to our studio in Austin, TX where they are carefully checked for quality, and packaged in wooden boxes, made in Idaho.
I had the opportunity to try the ‘faceted stone’. I chose the shape because it looked like it would fit very comfortably in the user’s hand.
The box was a delightful and thoughtful surprise – a nice wood box that I’ve since used to organize my rolling papers and other trinkets.
There is a hole, known as a ‘carb’, to let air in and out of the smoking vessel. I thought it was a little hard to find with my pointer finger, but I’m also a lefty, so it may have been optimized for right-handed use.
For my first use, I found the vessel chamber filling with smoke as I pressed my lips against the soft, smooth surface – it was a breath of fresh air to be smoking cannabis from a sculpted piece of art.
As an artist, I appreciated every bump, every groove, and imagined the tools used to get the form just right.
My suggestions: Add a screen so your flower doesn’t fall into the vessel, and be diligent about cleaning it between uses to preserve its beauty.
Elevate your smoking game
Britta is candid about her cannabis use in college; after all, she did attend college in Boulder, Colorado.
“Back then it was a fun part of parties and climbing trips,” she explained, “The herb would be packed into a resin crusted glass pipe plucked from a pile of pizza boxes and beer cans on a cluttered coffee table in a room adorned with tie-dyed tapestries and Phish posters.”
Britta’s lifestyle has changed quite a bit since then.
“I’d moved from taking art classes and going to keg parties, to running a successful jewelry business and throwing dinner parties,” she said.
This endeavor reflects the woman and artist she’s become, while still being true to her roots.
Her products are made in the USA and available online. You can also shop Hollow in select stores in California, Oregon, Texas, and Washington State.
Thanks Chloe! I love your writing style and really appreciate you spreading the work about Hollow! For all you readers, use offer code “sculpture” to get 15% off you order at http://www.shophollow.com