Italian Estates: Jacono Rook Dublin (E) (2023) Tobacco Pipe

In 1981, Tonino Jacono's father-in-law extended an offer to start a new pipe making workshop, his father-in-law providing high-quality briar from his job at a briar-cutting mill, his brother shaping the pipes, and Tonino himself doing the finishing. The idea was developed further, and, two years later, the first Jacono pipes were made in 1983 from out of the family's small workshop in Jesi, Italy. Tonino's start at this new venture was guided by a simple principle: offer pipes of the highest possible quality at the best possible price. Tonino now heads the company and has taken on carving responsibilities himself, staying true to his original goal, though benefitting from more than three decades of pipe-making experience and a reputation for excellence. This straight Dublin is a wholly neoclassical piece, with a firm, muscular bowl possessed of a gentle flare to its rim, all resting upon a sturdy heel. The shank is lengthy and stretches to meet a trim acrylic saddle stem of creamy hues, matching the palette of the smoky contrast stain that dresses the stummel. I can't mention the stain without talking about the grain on display here, the stummel showcasing tight wisps of flame and straight grain encircling the bowl and a sea of birdseye crowning the rim.