2015 Asteriou Billiard (smooth w/band)

[georged]

If based on the following three criteria:
-- Talent for subtly refining conventional shapes

-- Talent for designing Danish and innovative shapes

-- Technical mastery of implementation/execution
A strong argument can be made that Chris Asteriou is the best pipe maker in the world. There's simply no weakness in his game.
Astonishingly, he's also a humble, friendly, soft-spoken guy. :D
I got this pipe at the 2015 Chicago show and posted it then, but it's cool enough that an encore is order, I think. (More and better pics here ===> http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/more-and-better-pics-of-chris-asterious-billiard )
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[saltedplug]

For those of us (me) not in the know, would you elaborate how Asteriou's command of said details are present in this billiard? The only thing I see is a subtle difference in the shaping of the bowl. Yet there are so many variations in the profile lines before and aft in billiards that I cannot really say that I see anything.

 

[georged]

The easiest way to see the subtleties of line and form is to study a LOT of them. After a while, your eye just "blooms".
Here's a good place to start:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=2265&bih=1200&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=-KstWpTUGqvajwTjn62QBA&q=chris+asteriou+pipes&oq=chris+asteriou+pipes&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i24k1.11605.12979.0.13299.6.1.0.5.5.0.93.93.1.1.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.6.99....0.A5HnP3Kb7Tw

 

[sablebrush52]

George, show a picture of the slot. Asteriou does something that no one else does and it's designed to help the smoke fan out, bringing more flavor to the smoking experience. It's details like this that make him a standout carver.

 

[georged]

Jesse --
A slot close up is among the linked photos.
I've been told he no longer cuts them that way, though.

 

[danielplainview]

Nice. Classy touch with the beveled rim. Is the band aluminum?

 

[georged]

Sterling. 8)

 

[codecreatively]

Stunning billiard George! One of Chris's pipes are on my short list. I particularly like the way he cuts a strawberry.

 

[beefeater33]

That's a real beauty! That grain,......... THAT GRAIN!!!!.......... WOW!........... ::

 

[ssjones]

Here's the business end of my 2015 Author.

I agree with you in that Chris may be one of the best pipe makers in the world, along his friend and compatriot, Michail Kyriazanos.

 

[sablebrush52]

I've been told he no longer cuts them that way, though.

Dunno, but the pipes he showed at the last WCPS certainly showed that long slot.

 

[georged]

Jesse --
Click on the video for a good view of Chris's new slot:
https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/chris-asteriou/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=236047

 

[mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast]

That is a beautiful pipe George. Chris really makes a nice pipe. I hope to own one of his more classically shaped pipes sometime in the future. He went bent bamboo crazy at either last years or the year before Chicago show. He had about eight or nine really nice looking bent bamboo shanked pipes on his table one of those years. Man were those impressive to look at all together like that. The guy can make anything and do so very well. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

 

[cigrmaster]

That is what a pipe should look like, classic all the way. He does some really nice stuff with the classics. I wish he would do 10 of those to one of his bamboo non classic pipes.

 

[saltedplug]

Bumped to keep this beauty around awhile longer.

 

[alan73]

Me hopes the fad of bamboo fades away, no demand for anymore bamboo from me. This is a very classy classic shaped pipe.