Scottie Piersel: Sandblasted Pencil Shank Billiard Tobacco Pipe

Scottie Piersel's pipe making career began with a noble task: to make a pipe for her husband on Father's day, ordering a kit from Mark Tinsky to do so. At this point, however, the process of carving briar had sparked a passion in her to continue doing so, to make pipes in her own style and do so as perfectly as possible. This straight Billiard showcases that style quite well, with an incredibly lithe, very long stretch of shank and stem paired to a fairly large bowl that is balanced on this combination expertly.

The stem here is a vibrant taper of swirling jade and forest green hues, meeting a shank end fitment of creamy tones that creates a pocket of contrast which pulls some of the visual weight away from the bowl. The shank, of course, is extremely long, very thin, and has been reinforced with metal tubing in order to keep it strong, something which Piersel does with all of her pencil-shank pieces to avoid possible mishaps and keep the pipe robust. There's a subtle cheeking about the transition which reinforces the presence of the bowl slightly, and the transition itself is quite wide, lending more than enough room to drape a thumb. Additionally, it angles the shank downward a bit, cultivating a singular silhouette that is quite dynamic, effectively canting the bowl forward and ensuring that the look here is quite lively overall. The bowl itself is comparatively massive, though it conforms to about a Group 4 size, and sits on a rounded, pronounced heel, its straight walls and rather upright posture able to sit firmly on its underside. This bowl is a great canvas to showcase the ruby sandblast that dresses the stummel, revealing quavering growth rings on both flanks of the bowl and contrasting extremely well with the stem and shank end adornment.