Rad Davis 2010 Partially Sandblasted Rhodesian w/Ivorite Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Robert “Rad” Davis is a retired pipe maker from Foley, Alabama, and though his time in the industry was relatively short, it did not take long for him to be recognized as one of the greats of American artisan pipe making. Davis was introduced to the making of pipes in 2003 by the American freehand pioneer Mark Tinsky. Over the following years, his work would attract significant acclaim and win him several pipe carving competitions. It would also attract a dedicated following among connoisseurs of high-grade handmade pipes. Among those connoisseurs were a number of aspiring artisans and, like so many masters in the trade, Davis would be a teacher and a profound influence on the generation of pipe makers that succeeded him. In 2015, Davis retired from pipe making due to health problems, though if anything, the name “Rad Davis” holds even more currency now than it did a decade ago.

Rad Davis’ pipes are renowned for a number of reasons; their technical precision, their distinctive shaping, and their expert finishing, especially his sandblasts. Here we have a prime example of all three, from a year when Davis had fully entered the mature stages of his career. Taking the form of a Danish, or Danish-American style, Rhodesian, the pipe exhibits plenty of Davis’ signature stoutness, offset ever so slightly by an Ivorite stem inlay and a smooth polished “cap” at the bowl’s rim. As for the main body of the pipe, Davis’ ring grain sandblasting and contrast staining is out in full force, its reddish-brown hues resonating even further alongside the pipe’s marbled, cumberland mouthpiece.

This pipe is completely unsmoked.

 

Details:

Length: 5″ / 127.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.80 / 20.32mm

Bowl Depth: 1.49″ / 37.84mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g