Italian Estates: Jacono Knight Lumberman (2013) Tobacco Pipe

In 1981, Tonino Jacono and his father-in-law began developing an idea for a pipe-making workshop. Tonino's father-in-law would supply the briar from the mill where he worked; Tonino's brother-in-law would shape the pipes; and Tonino would finish the pipes. Two years later, Tonino and his family were crafting pipes centralized around a core philosophy: offer the highest-quality smoking instruments at the right price. Four decades later, Tonino now heads the workshop and has taken over carving the pipes himself, though he maintains the same adherence to that core value system. Here, Tonino showcases his impeccable shaping acumen and handsome finishing work. This Lumberman boasts all of the form's characteristic features, including an upright bowl, a protracted oval shank, and an abbreviated saddle stem. In Brandy-like fashion, the bowl's arcing taper produces softly contoured insulating walls that conform naturally to the hand. Dressed in the craggy rustication of the Knight finish and stained a rich auburn, this pipe is full of texture to appreciate.