Abe Herbaugh: Sandblasted Billiard with Silver Spigot Tobacco Pipe

A piece that exemplifies Abe Herbaugh's flawless facility regarding classic pipe design and hand-spun silverwork, this straight Billiard champions smoking practicality alongside remarkable artistry. Even without the silver, this design is immediately recognizable as the American artisan's: His Billiard variants tend toward more supple, almost Egg-like bowls, opting for slightly rounded walls as opposed to simply tapering the form toward the rim. The Billiard's relative simplicity design-wise requires a perfect adherence to proportion and line — any deviation and disharmony spotlit against such an uncomplicated backdrop — and Herbaugh's Billiards consistently deliver in this aspect. The shank and bowl are visually balanced, and the bowl's slightly forward cant maintains a natural and relaxed profile.

Shaping aside, though, this pipe's crown jewel is Herbaugh's unrivaled silverwork, here revealed in a complex spigot mount with sterling silver adorning both the shank end and stem base. Moreover, the American artisan spins all of his silver from flat discs, enabling complete customization and creativity with the silver accents he uses. In this piece, he's opted for a flatter style of mount at the shank end. This feature emphasizes the angle of silver-wrapped tenon, whose surface has been detailed with intricately rounded channels — a feat of craftsmanship that can't be overstated and a stylistic homage to iconic Dunhill spigot mounts.