Smooth Pencil Shank Billiard Tobacco Pipe

Pencil shanks always emit an air of delicateness, seeming to be on the verge of snapping at the slightest hint of force. That would be the case were it not for artisan's like Max Rimensi of Il Duca reinforcing the slender briar with an elongated tenon of sturdy, reinforcing steel. Such a functional aspect ensures that this sleek Billiard benefits from strong engineering while still displaying the extra-svelte profile that makes pencil shanks so attractive. The trim shank and stem combination here give the bowl an impression of Stack height, yet in actuality, it's just on the larger end of a Group 4 size. A smoky, auburn contrast stain dresses the classic profile, adding to its traditional appeal, and were an old English marque to have fashioned a pencil-shanked number, I wouldn't be surprised if it were to have resembled this handsome piece from Max.