Italian Estates: Radice Clear 'Collect' Bent Dublin with Antler (2) (2013) Tobacco Pipe

Hearty and muscular, this bent Dublin from Radice boasts a palm-filling bowl that houses a capacious chamber within its extra-thick insulating walls. The bowl flares from its firm, rounded heel to its broad, plateau-covered rim, while the shank angles upward out of the low-set transition and tapers through to the button of the mouthpiece, their thick build looking rather petite in the shadow of the bowl. An arcing stem of jet-black acrylic tops everything off and encourages a comfortable smoking posture. The piece is further elevated by the addition of a band of genuine antler at the stem base, offering a handsome contrast to the darker briar. Dressed in the Italian workshop's auburn smooth finish, the stummel displays some stunning licks of flame grain that follow the trajectory of the bowl's flare.