Becker: Sandblasted Billiard (Two Clubs) Tobacco Pipe

Federico Becker is a third-generation Italian carver who fashions a wide variety of shapes, oftentimes showcasing a penchant for dramatic, angular lines. This Billiard, however, is more soft-featured and gently rounded, presenting a more streamlined, refined profile than often seen from his work. It's clear that pipe making is in the Becker bloodline, with Federico's father and grandfather having also fashioned high quality pieces since the 1970s. The rich well of pipe-making knowledge bestowed from one generation to the next is clear in the pipe's rich design.

The lush, jaunty bowl of this Billiard seems almost Apple-like in its features, with the protruding heel and stoic disposition implying a simple elegance. The bowl is bolstered by a tapering shank-and-stem combination, its svelte, trim proportions reinforcing the visual weight up front. The rounded, arrow-straight shank gives way to a stem of jet-black vulcanite, making for a sleek line from transition to bit. A crisp, low-profile sandblast dresses the stummel, accentuating the natural grain orientation of the briar and providing plenty of stimulating texture to entice the fingers. It's all dressed in a dark, ruby-tinged stain that lends the piece a rather shadowy complexion, offset by two bright accent bands at the stem base.