Smooth Natural Bent Billiard with Bamboo (1179) Tobacco Pipe

By pairing a more cylindrical Billiard bowl with a smooth, lifting heel, a trim, but elongated transition, an abbreviated shank, and a densely packed, upward sweeping bamboo extension, Jeff Gracik has really created a beautiful, playful take on the old bent Billiard design here — balancing the classical with the organic, and the firm and staid with the whimsical. He's brought that careful balance to the finish as well, dressing the briar in a lovely natural blonde stain, giving the block's finely stranded flame grain just a touch of contrast and depth, which pairs excellently with the paler bamboo variety he incorporated as well. Stellar piece.

- Andrew Wike