J. Alan: Sandblasted Liminal Billiard with Silver (1130)

A question that has been asked for years is, "What's liminal about J. Alan's Billiard?" My answer to that question is that I should have asked Jeff by now. It isn't just the Billiard that Jeff limits this peculiar title to, either; I've seen at least one Canadian going by the same name. My guess, judging by the actual pipes, is that they are meant to be transitional pieces, with one foot in the modern and another in the classic.

Take the old Dunhill "LB," for example. Now lend its bowl a more Danish profile, lower of waistline and longer of upward taper; take the saddle stem that (however rarely) appeared on them and dramatically tweak its proportions so that the base is far, far lower in profile, producing a more minimalist look at that end. Keep the black sandblast, dark, smooth-polished rim, and sterling silver common to the ubiquitous Shell. Tuck in the overall length to something a little bit shorter and handier, but keep the bowl height exactly the same, and the chamber proportions to within a few hundredths of an inch of an LB.

All that, would arrive at this.

- Eric N. Squires