Sandblasted Smiling Acorn (Friar) (C17) (02) Tobacco Pipe

Jody Davis is a master artisan, but he's also a full-time touring musician. That means when Jody makes pipes, he makes them in his own free time, often while on the road via a rather impressive mobile set-up of his own devising. Pipe making to him is a creative outlet, and you can see that creativity in the free nature of his work. Jody's designs are playful yet balanced, firmly rooted in the Danish tradition yet quite unique and signature to his own developed style.

Take this Smiling Acorn, for example. In the title itself you can tell Jody's had some fun with this piece, deriving its name from the grinning crown of plateau adorning the fore of the bowl. It's a subtle cue, sure, but Jody's handled it with a meticulous grace, scooping out the briar and polishing it smooth as it approaches the plateau, in turn affording it greater definition and prominence. What's more, he's matched that playful style with a rather dramatic syle of wasp-waisted shank — something Jody's experimented with quite a lot recently; it isn't a new idea by any means, but he's made it all his own by exaggerating the flare and gesture of the form, all while still maintaining relevance and importance to the overall composition.

All in all, it's just a stunning piece from the master carver — beautifully organic yet still evocative of his signature style. The ring grain he's brought out along the lower bowl, transition, and shank is nothing short of extraordinary too.

- Andrew Wike