Adam Davidson: Sandblasted Tomato with Antique Bakelite Tobacco Pipe

Adam Davidson is an extremely accomplished artisan, having received tutelage from Todd Johnson and working with a meticulous approach that prioritizes perfect smoking properties and accurate shaping in every pipe he produces, limiting his annual production to around 75 pipes a year. The results of this process speak for themselves, however, giving us the opportunity to present you all with pieces such as this robust Tomato, showcasing his affinity for supple curvature and refined line work.

The stem here is a rather trim saddle affair that has been crafted from antique Bakelite, showing flecks of brown which stand out in subtle contrast against the creamy, almost horn-like hues of the material itself. In addition, the lighter tone of the stem is starkly contrasted by the stummel here, with its dark, crisp, chestnut sandblast, offering a kind of visual balance that draws the eye to the aft portion of the piece, despite the hearty disposition of the bowl. A trim shank meets this stem at a slight upward angle, tapering very slightly as it ebbs out of the transition before reaching a consistent length, and creating an understated S-curve in concert with the stem itself, putting more focus on the languid flow of the lines present here. At the end of the transition we see the bowl: a plump, charming bulb that showcases a slow, arcing taper to its rim from all sides, with the aft growing a bit more than the fore. This fosters a bit of forward urge which adds some welcome dynamism to the piece and enhances the visual presence of the bowl, balancing with the pop of color at the stem to place the visual weight comfortable on the transition.

A sweeping, lifted heel thrusts the bowl further into prominence, and reveals some Danish inspiration, as well as serving to place the low-set waistline at a perfect angle for the fingers to wrap around and appreciate. The aforementioned sandblast unveils some incredibly dense ring grain surrounding the bowl, cascading down from the rim in tightly packed ripples which are striated by textural flame grain.