Bill Shalosky: Sandblasted Billiard with Fordite (587) Tobacco Pipe

Bill Shalosky possesses a wide variety of influences, pointing to "every pipe ever made" as a source of inspiration. Whether influenced by handmade, artisanal pipes or factory-produced ones, the American carver can usually find something unique or distinctive to utilize in his own work. Shalosky has a deft understanding of shaping, as well as the internal functionality of pipes, and he has quite the breadth of experience under his belt to attest to that fact, having fashioned pipes for Smoker's Haven, Chheda Pipes, and BriarWorks alongside his own artisan fare. His work can be rather eye-catching, as the American carver is not one to shy away from atypical materials or a sense of playfulness with his shaping.

This Billiard is a lovely example of Shalosky's work and presents with a bowl that looks positively Stack-like in profile, with more than two inches of height and plenty of chamber capacity within. Its walls take on a subtle forward cant as they sit, tapering gently to the rim, atop a rounded heel, the ample surface area and easy curves providing plenty of comfort in the hand. The shank balances with the bowl in profile, maintaining the same firm, sturdy proportions. A tapered stem of jet-black vulcanite tops off the design and continues the sleek lines started by the shank until terminating at a fine bit. The stummel wears a dark, low-profile sandblast that not only offers a wealth of texture for the fingers to explore, but reveals dense stacks of concentric ring grain rippling around the walls of the bowl for a finish that's just as dazzling visually as it is tactilely. A mesmerizing Fordite accent — composed of hardened, layered automobile paint taken from the factory floor — adorns the stem base and offers a splash of color that lightens the overall design.