Of all the pipe makers who managed to develop a devoted following, and then, for one reason or another, stopped producing pipes before they dropped dead, I would guess that it is Rad Davis who is most missed by his clientele. The quality of his pipes is certainly one reason for that sorrow, but maybe more so it was Rad himself, his personality. That’s just a guess. I know I miss him, and I miss the little excitement I would feel when Rad felt he had made enough pipes, and satisfied enough of his first customers, to send a few of his pipes to sell. Interestingly, to me at least, he never made a pipe I felt the need to reject. That might not sound like much, but I rejected pipes from such luminaries as Jesse Chonowitsch, so it’s not as though I’m an easy guy to please. Despite being an absolute klutz myself, I have the temerity to expect perfection from others (this drove my wife half nuts at times). Not that Rad, or any other human, could be perfect, but he never disappointed. That’s pretty cool. Maybe he drove himself so hard that he had to quit lest he kill himself prematurely. I hope he’s fishing in some river or creek now and enjoying himself. This pipe is a Grp. 6 in size, with a wide-open draw, uncoated chamber and a brindle stem. It has a plateau top, as you can see, so it comes from the best part of the burl. The end of the shank also shows plateau. New.
5.7” long, bowl 2.35” tall. Weight: 2 oz., 57 grams.