I haven't done a billiard in a very, very long time. Not because I do not want to and not because I do not like them, but purely because for me to see a billiard in a block of briar, is a nearly impossible task! Block after block I see pipes with wonderful curves.
The biliard is one helluva shape, with proportions that seem quite easy, but deceivingly so. Bowl height should be more or less the length of the shank, the bowl should be round and slightly fatter around the middle, the bowl should be canted forward ever so slightly, shank and stem should taper a tad, etc. Exactly because of these definite guidelines, a billiard is very good exercise in pipemaking.
This one is in the final finishing. It has been sanded to 400 grit and a couple of tweaks here and there might still occur. The stem inserts are briar, an stem and shank adornment that I think is grossly underestimated. At the moment (and that might differ from tomorrow!) I see the pipe in a reddish stain, with the stem inserts in some contrasting colour.
