Quote Originally Posted by Pipe Smoker View Post
A while back I bought this Mark Tinsky brandy from the American Estates section of SmokingPipes:

Mark Tinsky Sandblasted Brandy (4) | Buy Mark Tinsky Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes

I bought it because I liked its appearance, shape, proportions (and price). But It’s proved to be a sweet smoker, and well crafted. Notably, the draft is well centered in the mortise (sadly, not always the case), and the tenon-mortise fit is perfect — neither too tight nor too loose. And only a small gap between the end of the tenon and the bottom of the mortise.

So when this Tinsky billiard popped up in American Estates for a very reasonable price, I grabbed it.

American Estates Mark Tinsky Dress Coral Billiard (5) (2017) | Buy American Estates Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes

And I now have it in hand. All of the nice things that I said about the craftsmanship of the brandy apply to this billiard, too. It’s been smoked, but not very darned much — the lower part of the chamber is still uncharred, and there’s no cake at all. As for the “small ding on the rim”, I can’t detect it by sight or touch. The light wood is spalted tamarind, I believe. The facets of the “Dress Coral” blast finish glint as I turn the pipe in the light — I’ve never seen that effect before. I haven’t smoked it yet, but I’m very happy to have it. I’m a Tinsky fan!
That Dress Coral Billiard is a very nice pipe! The brandy is nice also!