Italian Estates: Radice Silk Cut Billiard (E) (2018) Tobacco Pipe

Luigi Radice was born in 1939 and began his career working with briar in 1961, finding employment at the venerable Castello workshop. While working for the now legendary brand, Luigi met Giuseppe Ascorti, and the two left together in 1968 to found Caminetto, where he stayed for 12 years, before departing to establish Radice in 1980. With help from his son, Gianluca, and his father, Paolo, Luigi began producing pipes in a striking neoclassical style which quickly amassed acclaim from enthusiasts of such stylized works. Luigi was later joined by his other son, Marzio, and the family-run workshop has since become known not just for their unique take on the neoclassical style of pipe making, but their singular accenting and finishing techniques. A thickly-built Billiard rendition, this pipe boasts a wide transition which leaves plenty of room to drape a digit, the shank itself taking on a very slight taper toward the junction. Married to the shank is a similarly tapering stem of brindled blue and black vulcanite that offers some understated vibrancy to the composition. Up front, the bowl stands atop a firm, pronounced heel and cants forward gently before growing cylindrical walls up to a flat rim. Dressed in the crisp sandblast of the Silk Cut finish, the stummel here showcases a wealth of rippling grain cascading down the walls of the bowl: revealed beneath a lively contrast stain.