Classic Pipe Shapes

Classic pipe shapes is the collective name for body forms established over generations in pipe making, whose names and proportions have been passed down by tradition. These names have never been tied to a formal standard; the same shape can appear under different names in two manufacturers' catalogs. Even so, there's consensus around a core repertoire, and its archetype is taken to be Billiard: shapes like Pot, Apple, and Panel are defined as its many derivatives.

Straight, Bent, and Free Form

Shapes are classified along two major axes. The first is the body's stance: straight and bent. Bending isn't a shape in itself but a qualifier; "Bent Billiard" or "Bent Apple" means the same body, bent. Degree of bend is referred to as 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full bent. The second axis lies between classic molds and free form: classic shapes stick to certain proportions and lines, while freehand pipes step outside those molds.