Bill Shalosky: Smooth Tomato with Boxwood (469) Tobacco Pipe

Bill Shalosky excels at traditional shapes. His Billiards are wonders of classicism, blended with a whisper of modernism in his own style, and they are as intriguing to examine as they are satisfying to smoke (I know from experience). It takes an expert understanding of shape fundamentals to achieve in briar that sense of wonder bordering on bafflement. For some other shapes, Bill amplifies that sense of modernism, and in the example of this Tomato he adds smooth curvature and languid lines. This is a shape that Bill has experience with, though it's the first we've received in a smooth finish. That smooth exterior supports excellent vertical grain around the compressed bowl, which maintains Apple-like precision but with less vertical aspiration. The shank is sturdy and joins the bowl with a soft transition that resonates with the curvatures around shank and bowl. The end of the shank is fitted with a ring of pale boxwood, and the stem echoes the ring with a single expansion ring before stepping down to the saddle configuration. These elements unite in an organic composition destined for a central spot in some discerning smoker's rotation.