Lumberman

Lumberman is a straight pipe shape formed by joining a long, oval-sectioned shank (shank) with a short saddle mouthpiece (saddle stem). It's part of the four-member group known as the Canadian family; like the other members, it inherits its bowl proportions from the classic Billiard shape, differing only in the form of its shank and mouthpiece. It's regarded in the community as one of the family's rarest combinations.

Two Criteria That Define the Shape

The four members of the Canadian family diverge at the intersection of two simple criteria: whether the shank cross-section is oval or round, and whether the mouthpiece is tapered or saddle-type. Lumberman falls into the "oval shank + saddle mouthpiece" cell of this chart. Canadian, which uses the same oval shank cross-section with a tapered mouthpiece, is Lumberman's closest relative; when the two shapes are set side by side, the only difference is whether the mouthpiece has a shoulder or tapers continuously end to end. When that same saddle mouthpiece is paired with a round-sectioned shank instead, the shape is called Lovat.

The commonly cited criterion for shank length is that the shank exceeds twice the bowl height. The short saddle mouthpiece balances the pipe against this long shank; if the proportion is thrown off by lengthening the mouthpiece, the shape is considered to lose its character. For the naming of parts such as shank, bowl, and mouthpiece, see the pipe anatomy entry.