Bill Shalosky: Sandblasted Lovat with Fordite (296) Tobacco Pipe

Of the Billiard family variants, I'm inclined predominantly toward compact Canadian shapes. As decidedly rare as these might be, likely even rarer still are long-shanked, neoclassically-proportioned Lovat renditions. And all of this, wearing a lightly warm, beautifully-oriented, blasted grain pattern, and a stem accent of Fordite, a composite material (also known as "motor agate") made from years and myriad layers of automobile paint, hardened over time and baked, resulting in something rather like an American version of the Japanese shuishu? Well, I'd say you aren't likely to find another soon.

- Daniel Bumgardner