Becker: Smooth Billiard (Four Hearts) Tobacco Pipe

Federico Becker is a third-generation pipe maker whose late father and grandfather began the Becker workshop in the 1970s. The younger Becker has certainly come into his own in the carving world, marrying his elders' design styles with his own learned skills and creative vision. This fetching Billiard is a fine example of Federico's astuteness as an artisan, offering the rich finishing work and stylish flourishes for which the workshop is known.

An incredibly streamlined design, this Billiard pairs a pert bowl to a sleek, arrow-straight shank-and-stem arrangement. The shank and stem's understated lines keep the overall form looking incredibly svelte and reserved in profile, almost beyling the subtle angularity offered by the bowl. Said bowl stands atop a firm, pointed heel, which is framed by two crisp facets that give the fore of the composition an appearance similar to that of a ship's prow. The heel's crisp, structural character offers striking contrast to the rest of the shape's streamlined build. As this is a Becker pipe, one would be remiss not the mention the finish, which takes the form of glossy, blonde polish. This finish highlights beautiful strands of windswept flame grain across the flanks of the bowl, and some fine whorls of birdseye across the rim.