Jody Davis: Smooth Natural Blowfish (Bishop) (B22) (65) Tobacco Pipe

Jody Davis, in addition to being an accomplished musician, is also a venerated pipe maker who fashions some of the finest briars in the world. Like many American artisans, Davis tends to fashion relatively compact designs that emphasize muscular proportions over length, making this rather lengthy Blowfish something of an outlier within his portfolio.

The Blowfish has become a staple within artisan pipe making, as its nonstandard form lends itself well to various interpretations. That being said, the Blowfish is notoriously difficult to craft, requiring a keen eye for detail and an understanding of how to shape a pipe to maximize the briar's grain patterns. Davis, of course, understands this, and has fashioned a striking rendition of the shape here.

Boasting a rather dynamic silhouette, this piece features a broad, low-slung bowl that's set to an upturned shank and a steeply curved saddle stem. The bowl, as is typical for the form, is unevenly bifurcated by a crisp ridgeline, one that travels from the fore of the bowl to aft of the shank. Mirroring the bowl, the shank boasts some playful asymmetry of its own, with structural panels lopsidedly framing the flaring stretch of briar and offering some firm-lined contrast to the shape's otherwise supple profile. A warm, honey-hued smooth finish dresses the stummel and highlights gorgeous birdseye on either flank of the bowl, and tight bands of cross grain along the rim and top of the shank.