Tao: Smooth Billiard with Mammoth Stem Tobacco Pipe

Before taking up pipe making, Jens "Tao" Nielsen was a sailor that spent most of his early life at sea. He eventually settled down on land after meeting his wife, but his experience traveling had an impact on his approach to shaping. He often fashions compact shapes that are easily portable but still muscular and stocky enough to handle anything life throws at them, with this Billiard being a prime example of his signature aesthetic.

Although it measures just a touch over four and a half inches long, this piece boasts a stocky, full-bodied bowl that belies the shape's understated length. Said bowl tapers from its wide, ample heel to its taut rim, and as it does, its insulating walls take on a supple curvature that conforms naturally to the hand. A low-set transition marries the aforementioned bowl to a sturdy shank and a slender, tapered stem made of mammoth. The mammoth's pearly white complexion adds a touch of vibrancy to the shape's profile, its visual presence accentuated by a trim blank band along the shank end. Dressing this piece is a warm smooth finish that highlights breathtaking birdseye across the pipe's flanks.