Adam Davidson: Sandblasted Almond with Silver Tobacco Pipe

I recently overheard Adam Davidson discussing a class that he remembered from college on automotive design, and one that he recalled as a valuable asset to his (then) future career as a pipemaker. On the matter of designing compositions with crisp, natural lines, the professor directed the class's attention to a car in the parking lot, noting the curious absence of a single, straight line. It is this Industrial Design-based methodology that lends Adam the necessary foresight and skill to envision and execute a shape so organically evocative, yet so sleek and clean of line.

In fact, it is his minimalist use of line which lends the Almond its unique character: appearing at a distance like a diminutive nosewarmer (due to the proportional relationship of shank and bowl), before subsequently announcing its boldness upon closer inspection, and when in hand, allowing the sleek, modernist lines to make themselves known. Both the grain orientation and depth of the sandblast are superb, with the burl's center forming the well-defined, pointed heel, and the craggy texture readily evoking the look of the shape's namesake. Also of note is the hand-turned vulcanite stem, a more abbreviated one than some previous Almond renditions, as well as the uniquely lenticular silver band, which Adam forged himself and is the first to be worn by this signature shape.