To me, the billiard shape is the simplest pipe, the most basic in design, the easiest to smoke. An interesting aspect of the billiard is that, because of its rudimentary shape, it finds a vast and nuanced variety. Little tweaks to its standard and traditional design make it almost infinite in its variety while still being a billiard. The balance between shank and stem length, size of bowl, finishes, size of chamber, and thickness of walls of the bowl, and embellishments or lack of them, make each one surprising, often in a quiet but decisive way. Go from a tapered to a saddle stem, and the whole pipe changes. I enjoy and revel in a wide variety of shapes, but billiards have a kind of magnetism beyond that of other shapes. I'd be stretching to say it is my categorical favorite, maybe in my top three or four, but of those it is mysterious in its subtle shape changing allure. Having to choose my favorite billiard among my many ... impossible.
