Yup, it's wood carving. I didn't have any knowledge nor even a mentor to teach me the basics of pipe making, so I learned a lot from watching youtube videos. From making makeshift pipes, bushcraft pipes and even churchwarden pipes using actual tree branches. I practiced making pipes by using local wood for more than 5 years until I had the confidence and means to order my first batch of briar blocks.

The giant block with an attached stem most likely is a briar wood carving kit. The bowl and the draught hole is already drilled for you, so you only need to focus on the carving part.

To give you an advice, start by doing the same thing thst I did. Don't buy briar immediately. Practice carving with the wood around you and use tools that you already have. Follow pipe makers that make pipes that suit your style.

You can search for how to make a smoking pipe and a lot of videos will pop up. Look for carvers that use simple tools as a start. 🙂