Musico: Smooth Billiard with Silver (Set) Tobacco Pipe

This Billiard from Musicò is a compact take on the classic shape, coming in at under five inches long, its build nicely suited to smoking on the go or travel carry. The transition is wide, with plenty of room to drape a digit, and it gives way to a round shank that reaches out to meet a sleekly tapering stem of black vulcanite at a junction marked by a broad band of silver. This sleek shank and stem nicely balance the bowl, standing atop a rounded heel at the fore and growing subtly curving walls that taper subtly to the rim. Dressed in a warm, rich stain, the stummel showcases handsome grain throughout, with an especially nice display of birdseye across the right flank of the bowl.

In 1990, two notable sons of the pipe world joined together and opened up a shop together. Those two were Pablo Becker and Massimo Musicò, the sons of Fritz Becker and Giorgio Musicò, respectively, and two highly respected individuals within Italy's pipe sphere. Starting in 1995, the pair began making pipes together, with Pablo turning the stummels and Massimo crafting silver spigots and bands to pair with the pipes. The duo enjoyed great success during their partnership, but in 2002, Pablo decided to go back to making artisan pipes full-time under the Becker name. Massimo Continued making Musicò pipes, however, and added the Foundation name to subsequent releases, additionally including the rest of his family in the production of the pipes.