Alexander Tupitsyn: Smooth Billiard with Palmwood Tobacco Pipe

This straight Billiard from Alexander Tupitsyn displays a proportionally large, muscular bowl, in keeping with the Russian artisan's Billiard portfolio and personal style. Tupitsyn has been mentored extensively by Vladimir Grechukhin, and his work typically leans into the elder Russian's penchant for stubby, muscular designs. Those design cues are present here, not just in the bowl, but in the stout, rounded shank as well, providing a delightfully Russian interpretation of the classic shape.

Alexander has made the cross grain of this briar into a work of art, bringing out stunning fields of birdseye on both flanks with a smooth finish and a striking orange and black contrast stain. The shank end is crowned with an accent of palmwood, providing subtle contrast and a good visual base for the stem to spring from. The mouthpiece is slightly abbreviated, keeping the piece in pocket-friendly dimensions while offering a lithe saddle configuration and hand funneled lip button for a comfortable smoke.