Former: Sandblasted Chubby Billiard Tobacco Pipe

Measuring in at just under five inches in length, this Billiard from Hans "Former" Nielsen is especially compact. Its other dimensions, though, maintain average sizes, so that brevity won't diminish your smoking time or the pipe's performance. A black sandblast pours down the sides of the bowl, the growth rings horizontal and as uniform as growth rings can get. The shank is of a wider diameter than classically indicated, and reflective of the Danish penchant for robust elements and smooth curves, as does the rim, which is gently rounded and stained the deep, dark maroon that's often used by Danish makers. The visual contrast of the saddle stem, so short and flat, against the expanded dimensions of the stummel, brings the eyes forward to the slightly canted bowl, which is round and firm in hand, almost like an Apple shape. Former has not only lived through the most exciting times of pipe making, he participated, and is a part of pipe history that you may appreciate being represented in your own collection.