Scottie Piersel: Sandblasted Magnum Pencil Shank Billiard Tobacco Pipe

American artisan Scottie Piersel makes some of the most iconic, precise, pencil-shanked pipes in the world, with an unmistakable style that keeps her work in high demand with discerning collectors. The impossibly slender shanks of her pipes look like they could be fragile, but the reverse is true, as they are lined by stainless steel sleeves that also form a reverse tenon to secure the stem. It's a feat of impressive craftsmanship, and the presentation is as durable as it is striking. The affect is amplified in this Magnum straight Billiard, as she has stretched the design to an impressive 11-inch length, technically making it a straight Churchwarden, a design rarely seen and almost never as a pencil shank.

Especially given the length, this pipe is very light in hand, yet offers a generously-chambered bowl with cheeking at the transition and a fluid taper to a smooth, chamfered rim that will assist in tobacco loading. The rest of the stummel is dressed in a light-depth sandblast, demurely accentuating a lovely cross-grain pattern without spoiling the pipe's exquisite profile. A dark red stain lends a rich aesthetic, contrasted by a trim,Ivorite accent ring at the shank end for a pleasing visual break before introducing the stem. The mouthpiece is cut by hand from brindled sand-and-black vulcanite rod, and expands from the shank face to quickly form a delightful expansion ring, then narrows before broadening in width to a precisely shaped and hand-funneled lip button. A stunner in all respects, and a fine exemplar of Scottie's considerable skill and unique style.