English Estates: Astley's Smooth Billiard Tobacco Pipe

Originally established in 1862, Astley's was a famous tobacconist on Jermyn Street in London. For many years, before it closed its doors in the 1990s, the shop offered a private label line of pipes that were made by variety of different English marques and workshops. While no specific maker can be definitively tied to the Astley's brand, the pipes they offered are held in high regard and generally considered a collector's item, making this Billiard something of a find. It's a sleek, minimalist take on the classic form, balancing a tall bowl at the fore of an arrow-straight shank-and-stem arrangement. Dressed in a chestnut-hued smooth finish, the stummel presents some handsome birdseye across the flanks of the bowl.