Adam Davidson: Sandblasted Bent Egg with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

Danish artisan pipe design is one of the major influences in today's American artisan pipe-making movement, with many American makers incorporating the smooth curves and gentle lines of Danish pipes into their work. That said, what one could consider the American school of pipe making isn't simply a facsimile of Danish pipes. One area where American pipes differ from Danish ones is in a strong sense of muscularity. Obviously, I'm painting with a broad brush; however, there still remains a pattern, or convention, of many modern American pipe makers, from artisans to workshops with a focus more on mass-production, shaping Danish-style forms with a touch more substance.

Adam Davidson is a carver who has been fashioning artisan pipes since the early days of this Danish influence on American pipe making, and this bent Egg does well to represent that aforementioned American style: The lines and curves all call to mind Danish pipe design, with the bowl urging forward and the shank slightly flaring toward the stem, yet the proportions are stout and the overall size rather large. It's not as large as Adam's "Magnum" stamped pieces, but this bent Egg still houses a chamber over two inches deep. Wearing a low-profile sandblast to maintain a smooth-lined silhouette, it's dressed in Davidson's oft-seen, dark plum stain, drawing contrast to the yellow tones of the boxwood accent at the shank end.