Ryan Alden: Smooth Bing Billiard with Silver (King of Clubs) Tobacco Pipe

Bing Crosby's long, lean Billiard has become an iconic figure, its classic profile and sleek, modernist style catching the eye with ease. Here, Ryan Alden has put his affinity for classical shaping to good use, rendering a spot-on example of the piece. Crisp and clean, with just the right amount of roundness to its bowl, it's a piece that gets the profile just right — though with some of Ryan's own style thrown into the mix. Specifically, this is a meatier rendition of the shape, with more substance to bowl and shank than one might expect given the lightweight, almost delicate style of the archetype. The result is a piece that is as sleek as it is sturdy, dressed in a walnut contrast and accented with sterling silver for some traditional charm.