Partially Sandblasted Blowfish Tobacco Pipe

This Blowfish from Davide Iafisco is a bit softer of line than other renditions we've seen from the Italian artisan. It's still defined by a crisp ridgeline running underneath the shank, up the fore of the bowl, and back down the left side of the transition, but everything else about the form is markedly more subtle — for example, the ridgeline demarcating the right flank is considerably less rigid, almost invisible in profile yet apparent in hand, and the shank opts for a more rounded profile, pinched at the transition and flaring dramatically at the ridgelined end.

Not so subtle, though, is the finish and grain. Davide has not only accentuated the textural depth with a sandblasted right side, but he's also contrasted the stain, dressing the blast in a dark glossy hue while the rest of the smooth stummel is bright and naturally toned. Along this smooth section, a tight band of cross grain flows through the center, and whorls of birdseye define the right panel. It's an aesthetic we've seen from several American artisans before, riffing off of Hiroyuki Tokutomi's interpretations of the Fugu design. Iafisco has worked with Jeff Gracik of J. Alan pipes, and it's great to see some of that American/Japanese influence manifested in the Italian's work and made all his own in this beautiful piece.