Davide Iafisco: Sandblasted Tomato Sitter Tobacco Pipe

With a deep appreciation for the history and craft of pipe making, Davide Iafisco takes inspiration from various schools of design. He studied personally under carvers Teddy Knudsen and Claudio Cavicchi and attended the pipe-making seminars of Jeff Gracik and Adam Davidson. Those influences are obviously present in his work, but Iafisco also transforms and elevates his influences into something completely his own.

As its title suggests, this Tomato Sitter rests stably on a flat surface, a miraculous achievement given the pedestal-like heel's demure stature, especially in relation to the hearty bowl that rests upon it. Said bowl boasts a broad, stance and a wide, bulbous waistline, one that conforms naturally to the hand and emphasizes the bowl's rotund build. The bowl is situated at the fore of a sturdy shank that flares dramatically outward before giving way to a trim cumberland saddle stem. A warm, crisp sandblast dresses the stummel and unveils rippling growth rings across the bowl's flanks.