I’ve worked on several Everyman pipes over the last few years, and I’m always impressed with the build quality of these Comoy’s “seconds”. This shape 42 Bent Billiard is no exception.

The pipe had been quite gently used before it came to my worktable. The exterior of briar and stem were greasy and dirty, and a film of lava covered most of the rim. It was hard to tell how much cake was in the bowl as the chamber walls were lined with a fair bit of the last tobacco smoked.

The stem was in exceptional estate condition under the grime – very little oxidation, and almost no tooth marks at the bit. The top side was slightly rough, and the bottom side had just a hint of one shallow tooth dent. Compared to most of the stems I deal with, this one was nearly pristine.

The superb condition extended…