English Estates: Barling's Make Straight Grain Billiard (T.V.F.) (Pre-Transition) Tobacco Pipe

Timeless and iconic, this straight Billiard from Barling is representative of one of the oldest English marques ever to produce briar pipes. The Barling pipe company was initially established in 1812 as B. Barling and Sons, Benjamin Barling using his talents as a silversmith to outfit meerschaum pipes with stunning filigree before transitioning to making briar pipes, becoming one of the first British pipe makers to use briar as their medium. There's a defined slenderness to nearly every aspect of this pipe's construction, keeping this piece quite lightweight though still providing ample substance in hand. The shank itself is possessed of a slight taper from out of the transition that, paired with the saddle stem, balances the visual weight of the bowl well. The sleek saddle bit of the stem slenderizes the very rear of the aft, centering much of the visual weight at the transition, drawing the eye to the bowl yet allowing for all of this pipe to be easily appreciated at once. Said bowl is plump and poised, standing tall and straight atop a rounded heel with just a hint of taper to the rim, its expansive walls offering a perfect canvas for The Very Finest series' smooth finish, revealing beautiful grain.