Italian Estates: Savinelli Autograph Smooth Bent Billiard (00) (6mm) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Savinelli's Autograph is the Italian marque's limited-production, handmade series, utilizing specially aged extra-extra plateau briar and being crafted by only three of the brand's most experienced carvers. From start to finish, the process of crafting a single one of these pipes is handled by a single one of these veteran craftsmen, the series providing them with design freedom and allowing them to express their personal creativity. This bent Billiard is a more conservative piece from the Autograph workshop, though it still stays true to their neoclassical roots. The bowl here boasts the majority of the visual weight, standing atop a pronounced heel and tapering gently as it rises toward a gently domed rim. The transition is wide, with plenty of room to drape a digit, and it gives way to a lifting shank that's met by a demurely curved stem of cumberland. Vulcanite is seldom seen within the Autograph portfolio, and cumberland is even rarer, making this piece a desirable one for collectors. What's more, this pipe ranks as one of the Autograph series' finest examples, being graded at a "00," the second highest tier within their regular grading system. Dressed in a light, natural-esque stain, the stummel here showcases a wealth of handsome grain, with flame wrapping the bowl and birdseye peppering the rim.