Doctor's: Smooth Billiard with Bamboo and Boxwood (Double Flash) Tobacco Pipe

Roman Kovalev of Doctor's pipes has assigned this stylish Billiard his Double Flash grade, second only to the superlative Grand Flash, with this piece boasting his signature, distinctive use of bamboo.

Measuring a fraction more than four inches in total length, this Billiard is also a fine Sitter, thanks to the bowl's broad, slightly convex and curvaceous base. The lower bowl of this gently rounded and supple piece tapers gradually to the rim, all resulting in a comfortable fit in hand. It's paired to a nearly non-existent shank that's then incorporated with gnarly nodes of bamboo. Kovalev was among the first carvers to effectively utilize the more irregular pieces of bamboo that many others would have discarded, and in this rendition has bookended the tight-knit nodes with slender rings of boxwood, another iconic design cue for which he's known. It's topped by a much-abbreviated, very slender and short saddle stem that's sure to foment comfort, while the expansion disc at its base continues the circular rhythm of the pale grass. The stummel is dressed in a chestnut contrast stain that reveals tall, densely packed licks of flame grain all across the bowl, with a saturation of beautiful birdseye displayed along the heel and rim.