Jody Davis: Sandblasted Bent Apple with Maple Burl (Friar) (C17) (01) Tobacco Pipe

A beautiful fusion of classic and modernist design, this bent Apple from Jody Davis combines the traditional Ivarsson teardrop theme with one of his own unique split stems. The plump, near spherical Apple bowl melds beautifully in with the muscular shank and transition, with the composition's natural flow tangibly realized in the pronounced teardrop ridge flowing from the right side of the shank and along the underside, seemingly dissolving into the robust curvature of the bowl. It guides the eye naturally to the split mouthpiece, which Jody has carefully rendered out of jet-black vulcanite and shimmery maple burl — a modernist touch, yet one which still complements the design in an organic and natural way. What's more, Jody's coaxed some serious ring grain out of this impressive block, with wave after wave of the stuff undulating up from the base, across both bowl and upward-flicking shank. Beautiful work.

- Andrew Wike