David Huber: Sandblasted Billiard (2119) Tobacco Pipe

David Huber doesn't often produce straight Billiards, let alone ones free of adorning bamboo shank extensions, and when he does, they're most often steeped in the classic Danish transition, with soft lines and tapered rims. In this piece, though, the American artisan has blended that Danish style with some classically English elements for a shape that's beautifully simple yet somewhat outside of the other pieces we've seen from him. Everything about this rendition is straight and crisp — the shank lent some added muscularity and the transition especially well-defined. At the bowl, the form is forward of cant yet stoically upright in it's lines for an incredibly substantial feel in hand and generous chamber within. Finish-wise, though, Huber has kept things Danish, dressing it in a dark, low-profile sandblast and a smooth and rounded, lighter-stained rim. An impressive blend of aesthetics, this piece also remains quite lightweight, and the bit work boasts David's sublime engineering and detailed focus.