Tao: Smooth Natural Billiard with Antique Whale Tooth Stem Tobacco Pipe

With a natural finish that ably highlights the immaculate nature of this briar and its remarkable vertical grain, Jens "Tao" Nielsen here presents a Billiard in his distinctive style, maintaining a short length and muscular proportions. The bowl takes visual precedence and is well rounded, with a firm heel and delicate cheeking, while the cylindrical shank leads to a short, tapered stem of antique whale tooth. No whales were harmed for the making of this pipe; the tooth is a remnant of the past and a reminder of what so many sailors in history spent their lives pursuing. Tao spent his early years as a sailor, and his style reflects the practicality of short, sturdy pipes as a reflection of that part of his life.

This pipe is slightly under four-and-a-quarter inches in length, while the bowl is almost two inches tall, emphasizing the muscular aspect of the rendition. A single band of contrasting black offers a visual separation of the stem and shank, and carries Tao's logo of his signature across the top. Otherwise, the palette is very light in nature, the blonde aspect of the stummel harmonizing with the soft shade of the mouthpiece. It promises a comfortable and practical smoke in a shape that is traditional but modified to the exacting standards of Tao.