Misc. Estates: Dirk Claessen Sandblasted Billiard (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

A Belgian pipe maker living in Spain, Dirk Claessen takes inspiration from a variety of Danish and Swedish artisans, and fashions some rather stylish shapes. This Billiard is a fairly straightforward rendition of the shape-chart standard, albeit one with a decidedly neoclassical silhouette. The bowl, tall and brawny, rises at the fore of an incredibly svelte shank-and-stem arrangement. The slender build of the shank and stem keep the pipe sleek and streamlined in profile, lending the bowl, with its wide, muscular heel, most of the visual weight within the composition. Lightweight in hand and prone for easy clenching between the teeth, this piece is dressed in a crisp, earth-toned sandblast that highlights some impressive birdseye along the bowl. Presented unsmoked.