Smooth Bent Dublin Sitter with Ivorite (Cardinal) (C22) (68) Tobacco Pipe

Jody Davis is among the most renowned 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 Davis made his first piece and showed it to a friend and colleague, he was put into contact with legendary Danish artisan Jess Chonowitsch who showed him 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 Cooke's Vermont workshop, all of which contributed to his incredible depth of knowledge and refined his eye for detail.

We've not received very many Sitters from Davis in the past, and the ones that we have seen have tended toward a somewhat traditional aesthetic, making this particular bent Dublin-style rendition a unique one. Though "sitter" is a technically correct term, this piece gives the impression of standing, being dramatically upright of form and drawing the eye toward the bowl immediately. Said bowl is centered in the stummel, with the transition and diagonally-set waistline acting as the central locus of visual intrigue, with all of the pipe's shaping elements easily taken in from this area. The transition itself is extremely tightly-knit, and the shank pushing out from it reaches up vertically with a diamond-like shape that sees a ridgeline flowing through both of the flanks and the top. The added firmness this feature affords the pipe balances some of the fluid curvature which the shank and stem combination introduce, as the ridges continue through the short "foot" that dips down below the heel.

The curving shank is capped by a demurely bent half-saddle stem whose base is accented with a broad band of Ivorite that richly contrasts this pipe's color palette. The shank and stem's lovely S-curve does well to balance the bowl, as its walls arc forward and up and flare dramatically to a broad, inflated rim that's chamfered into the chamber. Said rim's ovoid shaping keeps things more compressed at the sides and offers a comfortable feel in hand, with plenty of surface area for the fingers to appreciate, though the striking curve of the shank and stem make for a promising jaw-hanging stance. Dressing this pipe is a vibrant, fiery contrast stain that illuminates wrapping streaks of flame grain surrounding the bowl, making the flame which reaches up the shank all the more impressive: a display of Davis' ability to expertly shape to the grain of the briar. A wealth of birdseye peppers the rim and covers the foot, and the split stem's Ivorite fitment adds a great deal of contrast to the composition, culminating in a pipe that's technically and artistically stunning.