Sandblasted Heart with Mammoth (A23) (19) Tobacco Pipe

Jody Davis, in addition to being an accomplished musician, is also a venerated pipe maker who fashions some of the finest briars in the world. Like many American artisans, Davis tends to fashion relatively compact designs that emphasize muscular proportions over length, something true of this Heart as well, its under five inches of reach balanced by its sturdy, reassuring heft in hand.

As the name suggests, the bowl of this piece resembles a heart in profile, with either flank of the bowl wrapped in a crisp ridgeline that descends to a pointed outcropping of briar. Said bowl is positioned at the fore of a flaring shank that sweeps high before giving way to a steeply curved saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite. The junction between shank and stem is adorned with a band of mammoth, which adds a touch of vibrant color to the composition. The stummel wears a ruby-hued sandblast that highlights dense birdseye across the bowl's flanks, and tight bands of cross grain along the bowl's top and bottom.