Brian Madsen Rusticated Billiard with Box Elder Burl (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Brian Madsen started making pipes in 2014 and is largely a self-taught artisan, though he has also learned from fellow Dane Eric Nielsen. He has a particular appreciation for pipes made with simple line work, and this Billiard is a fine example of that. The bowl is barely tapered and backed with an arrow-straight shank and saddle stem, the latter accented by a ring of box elder burl for a fascinating contrast with the vulcanite around it. The rustication is beautiful, stretching across the bowl in horizontal rows before taking on a fan-like pattern on the shank. It's a featherlight piece, as well, weighing below a single ounce with a length just under five inches, and the stummel is stained a rich mahogany that shines through between the deep reaches of the rustication.