Clarence Mickles Rusticated Bent Billiard (1996) Tobacco Pipe

Clarence Mickles was a much loved and well respected craftsman from the Chicago area who passed in 2002. His work lives on in this massive billiard-moving-to-brandy. The shank enters the bowl at a strange angle which makes the two elements standout on their own rather than looking like a fluid composition. Upon picking up the pipe, I think the angle of the shank is such for ergonomic purposes; the bowl fills my hand easily and my thumb rest right on the top of the shank comfortably. The craggy rustication also makes this pipe a pleasure to grasp.

--Tony Saintiague