I walked in to the new shop and was amazed at how clean it was. It smelled of briar and coffee. He made me a cup of Espresso from his newly acquired espresso machine he found on eBay and refurbished himself. It looked like a piece of art.
Keith: This espresso is incredible.
Jody: Thanks, I am roasting the beans myself now.
K: Wow, what got you into roasting your own beans?
J: I've always loved coffee since I was a kid. It's a little like pipe tobacco in that its origin, the processing and the blending have everything to do with the flavor . The more I started learning about coffee , the more I realized that most of what we get around here is stale, low quality and often over roasted beans... even in the coffee shops and cafe's . So I started learning how to roast it myself... and how to obtain good quality beans. Now I'm spoiled! I can't drink coffee anywhere else! Going to Starbucks is like buying pipe tobacco from a drugstore. You still can't beat the cafe experience, but unless you have a local roaster, it's likely that your not getting freshly roasted coffee.... and there is a difference.
K: It's been over five years since we did the last interview, what has changed for you since then, regarding your craft?
J: Mostly I would say that experience has been a great teacher. By "experiencing" more briar , I've learned more about seeing the possibilities in every block... and how to allow a design to stay fluid as new options or obstacles open up as I'm shaping the wood . There is hardly a day that goes by that I don't learn something I can carry with me and use on a future pipe.
K: Is there one thing that "experience" has taught you that a collector of your pipes would be glad to hear?
J: Well... experience can make you better in every way... if you let it. You can see it in the Danes and with Bo Nordh. The pipes that Bo, Jess, and Lars made in the early seventies were great, but their later works were even better. Their personal style and design became even more refined while maintaining... or even improving their quality. My hope is that someday the same can be said about me.
K: Let's talk about shapes, what is your "desert island" shape?
J: A straight Billiard or a
K: .... not to mention grow your own food...
J: yea... but thats secondary .
K: It's hard keeping a smooth pipe looking good doing such hard manual labor.
J: Right..... Actually that is true. I do ninety percent of my smoking in the shop , so I don't want to be handling a pipe with " kid gloves " ..... So I like Sandblast. Also... The straight classics are almost purely about function. Sure, they can be esthetically beautiful too... but it's hard to beat a properly drilled, straight Billiard for smokability. That's why I have such a commitment to making the classics.... or at least my own interpretations of the classics. Even the old standard shapes should have a little of the pipe makers own flair to them.
K: Do you think the "Classics" will ever be as popular or in demand as the more "Creative" design pipes?
J: They already are. I make as many classics as I do freehand pieces.
K: Has that always been the case or is this new?
J: For me it has pretty much always been that way. I've always loved making classics and freehands.... fortunately I've always had plenty of customers for both.... but I will say that it looks like the trend may be moving a little more toward classic shapes.
K: What would you like your customers to know right now about Jody as a pipe maker..?
J: I don't know......... in the end it's not about me.... hopefully the pipes can speak for themselves.
K: Is there a pipe shape you have never attempted and would like to?
J: I have lots of sketches of ideas that I haven't done yet. The thing is, you can have something on paper but you can't really impose a design on a block of wood.... not if you're trying to maximize the beauty of the grain . If you just shape a pipe and ignore the grain... then you should carve meerschaum. That's why the briar pipe has stayed fairly simple and elegant in its design through the years... as opposed to the often more elaborately carved meerschaums. Briar is not an empty canvas.
K: Well Jody, this is a good start to our ongoing interview. We will continue this conversation at a later date. Until then, I sure am looking forward to my special order from you. I have been wanting a J.Davis Zulu for a long time. Get to work!
