Sandblasted Bent Apple with Polymerized Corn Leaves (A23) (12) Tobacco Pipe

After developing an interest in pipes, Jody Davis began to collect them, learning everything about pipes that he could. His fascination lead him to a pre-drilled block of briar, and his pipe making journey began. As his skills grew, Davis received advice from pipe making legend Jess Chonowitsch. Davis' imaginative style is influenced by Danish aesthetics and contemporary American pipe making and favors compact, muscular shapes with curvaceous profiles, which is evident in both his evocative Freehands and traditional shapes.

This bent Apple by Jody Davis is dressed in a phenomenal sandblast, which creates craggy ravines between growth rings while still preserving their undulating details as they wrap around the bowl. Even the birdseye on the underside is well defined, creating deep pockmarks in the briar. The rugged surface is dressed in a vivid red stain, and is paired to a stem of jet-black vulcanite with an accent of polymerized corn leaves. The natural, yellow corn leaves standout against the black background, giving the accent a three dimensional depth that parallels the deep crags of the sandblast. Additionally, the leaves' bright colors accentuate the light brown striations from the vertical grain on the bowl, adding to the array of complementary colors.

The bowl's shape is quite traditional, its plump form is most pronounced at the fore, creating a supple in-hand feel. A thick shank flows from the transition, balancing the heft of the Apple bowl. Furthermore, the shank ever-so-slightly tapers, creating a seamless junction with the tapered vulcanite stem, which completes the shape's S-curve at a substantial bit.