Mike Sebastian Bay: Rusticated Billiard Tobacco Pipe

Mike Sebastian Bay, while searching for someone in Demark to repair his father's pipes, found himself in the workshop of legendary carver Tom Eltang. The two quickly bonded, and Eltang took Bay in as an apprentice. Eltang taught Bay the fundamentals of pipe making, everything from designing and shaping to engineering and finishing. Eltang even gave his blessing for Bay to use his signature rustication technique, which can be seen here dressing this stylish Billiard.

Long, lean, and undeniably elegant, this Billiard features a pert, upright bowl that's posed at the fore of an incredibly slender shank-and-stem arrangement. The shank and stem's demure build keeps the shape lightweight in hand and streamlined in profile, providing balance to the composition without ever distracting from the form's clean lines, stylish finish, and lithe gracefulness. Dressed in the aforementioned rustication, the stummel offers a wealth of engaging texture, save for the rim and shank end, both of which are smoothly polished for contrast.