Jody Davis: Sandblasted Bent Dublin with Amboyna Burl (Friar) (A23) (49) 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, something true of this bent Dublin as well, its under five and a half inches of reach balanced by its sturdy, reassuring heft in hand.

A subtly angular design, this piece boasts a crisp ridgeline that descends from the rim's fore, wraps around the lower bowl, and continues along one side of the shank, before terminating at a teardrop-shaped shank face. This ridgeline lends a touch of structure to the composition and highlights the gradual curvature that begins at the bowl and continues through the demurely curved mouthpiece. Shape-wise, this piece is a rather fluid rendition of the classic form, offering a stout, flaring bowl that stands at the fore of a sinuously bent shank-and-stem arrangement. A warm sandblast dresses the stummel and coaxes out rippling grain across the briar's surface, while an accent of amboyna burl adorns the junction and complements the briar's vibrant complexion.