Smooth Billiard with Bamboo (0419) Tobacco Pipe

Though American carver David Huber is no stranger to organic feats of shaping, nor to the implementation of natural materials in his designs, this appears to be the first piece we've received from the maker to sport bamboo. And it's quite a fittingly attractive one too, making use of three knuckles of the stuff operating in lively, even rhythm with the composition at large. Despite the noticeable warmth of the undulating material, this is more of a bowlcentric design to my eye, as the Billiard form up front sports a good bit of neoclassical weight relative to the remaining elements, and the low-sitting visual weight of the heel is quite overt, too. All that briar is put to good use however, as it serves just fine as a canvas for showcasing some stellar birdseye and diagonally-oriented cross-grain, accentuated by an affable contrast.