Davide Iafisco: Smooth Tomato Tobacco Pipe

Davide Iafisco's design principles are among the most artistically inclined as any in the world of pipe making, and I find this appropriate given his incredibly philosophical, almost spiritual approach to the medium, something which I both appreciate and empathize with. His start in this journey was sparked by an appreciation for classic, traditional shapes and the longstanding tradition of carving among the various Anglo-French marques, as well as the comparatively more recent rise in Italy's pipe making. Inspired along the way by the work of many modern artisans, Iafisco's own offerings became more Danish-inspired and organically inclined and certainly more strikingly stylized.

Iafisco's Danish style is displayed well in his renditions of the Tomato shape, and it's a profile he's been crafting with increasing frequency, making each new instance an exciting showcase of Iafisco's evolving style. This particular offering hones in on the squat, low-slung archetype of the profile, with a particular focus on breadth over height, especially at the bowl. Said bowl rests atop a lifting heel, one that gives way to a low-set waistline that's lifted at the aft and angles forward, canting the entire structure with it and affording this pipe a bit of dynamism in profile. The walls of the bowl expand greatly, reaching their zenith at an impressive rotundity before arcing and tapering to the chamfered rim, said rim being situated at the fore of the bowl to further magnify the presence of the bowl's cant. Out back, a wide transition gives way to a softly curling shank whose underside is lined with a pair of ridges at the flanks, the extension of briar flaring out toward its end: the ridges here encircling the domed shank face. This domed face is kissed with plateau on the right side, and its lenticular shaping accepts the black saddle stem at a recessed point which allows the stem's base to nestle in snugly. Dressed in a vibrant mahogany stain, the flanks of the stummel here are wrapped with beautiful flame grain while the top and underside are awash with dense swirls of birdseye.