Tom Eltang: Sandblasted Billiard with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

When Tom Eltang utilizes bamboo in his work, it's most often seen adorning his signature Poker design; however, occasionally he incorporates the pale medium into his other pieces. Though we've seen him play with bamboo in Churchwarden configurations, this Billiard example is indicative of Tom's most common, classically Danish leanings. The bowl is rounded and genteel, shaped according the oft-seen Danish convention of tapering toward the rim, softening the profile compared to the more stolid, upright style of English and French versions.

Eltang has then finished this piece in a low-profile sandblast, maintaining the bowl's supple curves and precise line work while presenting cross-grain relief beneath the smooth rim. Out back, the shank and stem are sleek and streamlined, and the four knuckles of bamboo elongate the form and interrupt the arrow-straight lines for an accenting touch in silhouette. Tom has here fitted a trim saddle stem, the crisp lines of the mouthpiece drawing more focus to the bamboo. In essence, it's a Danish-style rendition of Dunhill's bamboo-adorned "Whangee" design from the mid-1900s, perfectly combining the traditional aspects of English and Danish design with Eltang's personal aesthetic and deft craftsmanship.