Bill Shalosky: Sandblasted Billiard with Bamboo (441) Tobacco Pipe

Bill Shalosky's 2019 American Pipemaking Exposition entry approaches the theme from a slightly different angle than most of the other participants. The majority of carvers in this year's Expo have presented pipes that focus first on the bamboo, the briar shaped to match the organic knuckles, as is common in the Danish design tradition and, by extension, the American and Japanese styles.

Shalosky, however, hearkens back to bamboo-adorned pipes of the era before Sixten Ivarsson considered this method of fashioning a pipe around the bamboo. Before, pipemakers searched for perfect, uniform sections that would fit unassumingly with classic shapes — simply substituting briar with similarly shaped bamboo pieces as a way to save materials during briar shortages. This was especially utilized by Dunhill during and following WWII in the English marque's now highly-collectible Whangee line of bamboo-shanked classics.

In this Billiard, Bill has leaned heavily into that Whangee style, having found an arrow straight, evenly sized three knuckles of bamboo to fit naturally with a bold bowl up front. In silhouette, it's an archetypal take on a traditionally English Group 5 Billiard, the bamboo extending the shank like that of a Lovat, but with some added visual intrigue lent the profile thanks to the protruding knuckles. A well-proportioned pairing, the hearty bamboo is balanced out by the similarly robust bowl, and Bill's choice of color palette boasts a keen aesthetic eye as the Tanblasted stummel and yellow-hued bamboo provide a bright, natural palette that's going to darken handsomely the more it's smoked.