Jody Davis: Smooth Fish with Ambonya Burl (Bishop) (A24) (14) Tobacco Pipe

Jody Davis is perhaps one of the best American artisans active today, and certainly one of the most well-respected, but he is not only that, he is also a member of Grammy-nominated rock group Newsboys, who have a cumulative four gold records under their belt. Davis is a man of many talents, that goes without saying, but his journey as an artisan began as many do: with a passion for pipes and smoking. After making his first piece and showing it to one Keith Moore, Moore realized the potential that Davis had and put him into contact with legendary Danish artisan Jess Chonowitsch, who showed Davis some of his methods and shared his sources for materials. At this point Jody began to immerse himself in carving, dedicating himself to the craft and later working with J.T. Cooke in his Vermont workshop for a week, all of which contributed to his incredible depth of knowledge and refined his eye for detail.

Jody Davis has crafted a number of Fish variations throughout his career, many of which share a similar outline to this particular piece, a pipe that admirably represents its namesake profile while simultaneously embodying a Tomato-esque character. The most recognizable aspect of the Fish is its stylized stretch of shank and stem, and the fashion in which they interact with the bowl, the combination lined by a crisp ridgeline through one of the flanks. Here, the ridge flows through the left side, starting at a softly rounded accent of warm amboyna burl and plunging through the shank's ovoid stretch of briar. Said shank expands out toward the accent and creates a teardrop shape, lifting out of a rather wide transition as the ridge framing it supports the bowl's heel, creating a rather firm profile when viewed from the left side. The result is a pipe that's inherently dynamic, as either flank's viewpoint results in a different silhouette: the right side a more classic, smooth-lined, Tomato-like appearance, while the left showcases a firm, Volcano-esque look. The bowl here is a supple, curvaceous one that boasts a low-set waistline an easy taper to the rim, said rim being chamfered into the chamber for easy loading of tobacco. The ridgeline flicks upward from its place at the heel to lend the fore of the bowl a muscular look and keep the silhouette here feeling unique, following the curves of the briar but, rather than rising to meet the rim, it instead curves around the front of the lower bowl before dissipating swiftly. The stem is a trim saddle of black vulcanite that's smartly curved for comfortable smoking, its dark hue subtly contrasting the vibrant, grain-defining stain that dresses the stummel: one which reveals wrapping flame grain through the flanks and a dense basin of rich birdseye at the underside.