Now that I see this....carving!

[Desertlifter]

Classics are the hardest, Barling curvet billiard perhaps hardest of all.

You're doing a fine job, pipe looks good and it will smoke very sweet. You mentioned wetting the briar to see the grain - you have Kennedy Barnes trick (although he licked them - yuuch!).

Enjoying the posts.

Yeah - billiards are a right bastard to even attempt. Not licking my briar - tap water in the lab works just fine. This will get a very dark stain and then sanded down to exhibit the grain.