Smio
SATOU

Smio Satou enjoys tradition. He lives in the same Tokyo house in which he grew up. He practices ikebana (flower arrangement). He is an expert craftsman with many traditional materials (including bamboo, urushi [lacquer], and mother-of-pearl inlay). Satou also venerates the Danish tradition of pipe making, though he has dedicated himself to transforming those traditions with Japanese aesthetics. What results is a uniquely contemplative and serene form of briar carving, layered with nuance, that evokes a meditative beauty.

Satou uses a Japanese hand-saw (instead of a band-saw) to make some of his rough-cuts.

Satou applies his unique lacquer finish to his pipes. It takes about a month to apply all the coats.

While working for Tsuge in the 70’s, Satou was sent to Denmark to study with Jørgen Larsen, whose photo still sits in his workshop.

Satou’s father also made pipes and developed the lacquer finish Satou still uses.