Chris Asteriou: Smooth Billiard with Brass Spigot Tobacco Pipe

Chris Asteriou produces fine, handmade pipes in Greece and has repeatedly proven quite adept in creating both artisanal renditions of classic shapes and creative, sculptural designs of his own. This svelte straight Billiard is a prime example of the former, displaying the poise and subtle line work of the ultra-classic shape with a bit of Danish influence present in cheeking at the transition and its tall, roundly tapering bowl.

Chris found a sublime piece of briar here, and presents its natural beauty perfectly in cross-grain orientation, shaping the bowl to bring out whorls of birdseye on both flanks and uniform striations on the fore and aft of the bowl, as well as the top and underside of the shank. It's a trim composition that leaves no room for error, and he needed none, deftly rendering a pipe that shouts artistic talent, but quietly, so only those listening hear. A gleaming brass mount and spigot configuration complement the stummel's beauty, while a sleek tapered vulcanite stem widens to a fishtail at a precisely detailed lip button. An elegant, refined smoker with an effortless feel in hand, this one is destined for a favored place in a discerning collector's rotation.