Billiard

Billiard is the straight shape considered the most classic of all pipe shapes; it's found in nearly every manufacturer's catalog, and other shapes are often described in relation to it. With its near-cylindrical bowl, measured shank length, and unassuming line, it sits at the center of the classic pipe shapes family. Unless otherwise qualified, a Billiard is a straight pipe; when its mouthpiece is bent, it's called a "Bent Billiard."

Shape and Proportions

The Billiard's bowl is nearly cylindrical; its base is rounded, and the bowl leans slightly outward and back from the shank by a few degrees. This small tilt gives the shape a lively stance rather than the look of a rigid mold standing bolt upright. For the names of parts such as bowl, shank, and mouthpiece, see the pipe anatomy entry.

The shape's classic proportions are summarized as follows:

• Bowl height is roughly 1.25 times the bowl diameter.
• Shank length is close to the bowl height.
• The pipe's total length is a little more than three times the bowl height.

These figures aren't rigid rules but balance measurements refined through makers' trained eye; small deviations from one manufacturer to another are considered normal.

On a Billiard that keeps faithfully to the classic description, the chamber is also cylindrical; because the outer surface and the inner bore rise on the same axis, the rim comes out as a flat ring of even thickness all the way around. Leaving a very slight bulge in the middle of the wall is a common practice; this adds a bit of extra wood thickness at the point where heat concentrates most. Examples with a rounded rim or one narrowing upward are also made; although these are considered departures from the standard, as long as the body doesn't drift toward an apple or egg look, it's still counted as a Billiard. The shank cross-section is classically round, and the mouthpiece is most often of the tapered type.