Great score! Wrap your head around this- 2014 (the year this pipe was made) counts as his early work, he’s that good. I have eight of Jesse’s pipes and in 20 years of collecting high grades his pipes are the only brand/mark that I’ve only bought and never sold. No carver today cuts a classic shape better as far as I’m concerned, and stemwork is up there with the very best as well.
Jesse is a modest Old School gentleman who doesn't do the self-promotion thing much. He just steadily turns out absolute killer work that speaks for itself, and knows that time is the best "agent" a carver can have.
Pipe makers come and go, in other words, but the greats---and the future greats---always play the long game.
I strongly recommend if you don't have one of Jesse's pipes that you get on it soon as possible. 8)
I almost bid on that pipe! It was just a smidge too small for me. Congrats! I'm glad it ended up with you. Jesse just finished my commission, my 5th JJ pipe. He is, IMO, the best carver on the planet, and a great guy to boot! The attention he pays to the internals is unreal. Enjoy!
I have one of his pipes and I couldn't wait to try this 6 knuckle bamboo shank, blasted black Egg bowled Demi-Warden pipe with Juma stem made by Pipemaker Jesse Jones which is absolutely fantastic, so I packed it 10 y/o Esoterica Stonehaven and blissfully keeping it smokey.
It was hard to pass up. 5 inches long is perfect for size.
It's my first Carver outside of my Ryan Alden stable of pipes. I can only hope it's as good as they are.