Ryan Alden: Sandblasted Billiard (Queen of Hearts) Tobacco Pipe

Ryan Alden's portfolio is rife with timeless English classics, the Texas-based artisan's penchant for crafting shape-chart standards well known among fans of his remarkable work. Ryan has produced many straight Billiards, putting his own touch, however discreet, on them, as is the case with this Nosewarmer rendition.

The American artisan's background includes working with ceramics, wood-turning, leather-working, and other art forms, and it's that love of working with his hands and seeing things to fruition that makes Ryan such an accomplished pipe maker. This compact Billiard measures just a tad more than four inches in total length, yet its precise engineering, high functionality, shaping, and handsome finish all speak volumes. Though imbued with some traditional design cues, it also hints at a Danish influence, seen especially in the softly rounded bowl with its gentle taper and smooth, chamfered rim. There's also the faintest whisper of a subtle forward cant to the poised bowl and a bit of cheeking at the low-set transition. The rounded shank and classic cumberland stem are short, providing a pop of color along with a pleasing complement to the rim's lighter tones. With its flattened underside, this piece is able to sit sturdily upright, so not only is it great for pocket carry, it's perfectly suited to sit stably on a desk top. It's dressed in a dark sandblast that would tickle the fancy of any early 20th-century marque, the aforementioned smooth rim stained a warn mahogany with tinges of burgundy seen, pairing well with the stummel and mouthpiece.