Rafa Martin 03-14

Rafael Martín Oltra was born in Valencia (Spain) on May 9, 1960. His father, originally a cabinetmaker, opened a tobacco shop in their hometown of Valencia, passing on to Rafa all his passion and devotion for the world of tobacco. Influenced by his father, Rafa founded his own artisan pipe workshop in the back of their tobacco shop.

The philosophy that inspires Pipes Martín is to offer exceptional pipes, thus satisfying both the most demanding smoker and the highly specialized collector. Rafa Martín carefully selects the best briar from various Mediterranean regions and crafts the mouthpieces from German ebonite or cumberland rods, paying special attention to the quality of the raw materials. He even creates rings for his pipes in a small forge within his own workshop. He is dedicated to the production of hand-made pipes, avoiding any traditional forms reserved for his line of machine-made pipes.

The shapes emerge directly from the briar pieces through the masterful interpretation of the grain design, which suggests the final result. He never uses any type of filler, preferring to keep the wood in its natural state. The result varies from spectacular straight grains to sandblasted and rusticated finishes, culminating in fully handmade pieces with a natural finish and no stains.

The care and dedication that Rafa invests in all phases of the pipe-making process necessarily limits his annual production. Moreover, Rafa Martin decided to cease his pipe-making activity in 2018 to devote himself to his other great passion, creating pyrotechnic shows. As a result, the availability of pieces from this artisan, who has been a benchmark in pipe making in Spain, is limited to just a few dozen pieces.