American Estates: Adam Davidson Smooth Dancing Blowfish (2019) Tobacco Pipe

Adam Davidson is an accomplished American artisan who crafts a wide array of shapes, ranging from the highly sculptural to the more traditional. This Dancing Blowfish is one of the carver's more whimsical designs, possessing a unique silhouette that looks like an amalgamation of the Cavalier, Apple, and Blowfish shapes. The bowl here stands atop a pronounced shank that carries through the transition and emerges at the pipe's fore, while a slender saddle stem reaches out back and strikes a comfortable smoking posture. Said bowl possesses the Blowfish's crisp panels and wrapping ridgelines, which lend the form a lopsided appearance and a unique in-hand presence. A smoky smooth finish dresses the ensemble and highlights gorgeous grain throughout the stummel, save for one side of the shank, which is covered with dark, rugged plateau.