Italian Estates: Il Cerchio Smooth Bent Brandy with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

Meaning "The Circle" in Italian, Il Cerchio pipes are handmade by Angelo Del Prete, who started crafting pipes in 2018 to expand the selection of his own tobacco shop's high-quality pipes. To that end, Del Prete dedicated himself to intense research on pipes and their manufacture, going on to learn shaping and finishing techniques from some of Italy's most renowned artisan makers, including Davide Iafisco and Massimiliano Rimensi. As an artisan, Del Prete draws inspiration mainly from the Danish school of pipe making, centering his aesthetic around elegant forms rich with dynamic curvature and momentum, though he is equally talented in creating classic Anglo-French profiles.

This bent Brandy is an excellent demonstration of that style, and its one that packs an impressive amount of substance and shaping detail into an impressively compact package of less than five inches long. A wide and subtly cheeked transition here gives way to a curling shank that gently tapers as it lifts and reaches toward a broad, domed fitment of boxwood, one that's separated by a trim band of jet-black vulcanite. Said shank here marries to a demurely curved, expansion-ring-fitted saddle stem made from its own bit of black vulcanite, the posture it strikes with the shank affording this pipe a comfortable smoking posture that's quite comfortable between the teeth. Aside from its comfortable poise, this combination of shank and stem additionally grants the pipe a graceful gesture, and its slender outline does well to balance the visual weight of the bowl despite the bowl's impressive rotundity. Said bowl stands atop a rounded and slightly pronounced heel, a low-set waistline offering both a plump and supple feel in hand while marking the start of arcing, easily tapering walls that reach toward a domed rim and cant gently forward. This is a truly timeless and subtly Danish-styled rendition of the bent Brandy, its light weight and tightly-knit shaping making it a handy and practical smoker while maintaining a delightfully attractive silhouette. Dressed in a warm contrast stain, the stummel here displays a wealth of wrapping flame grain, following the curve of the shank and lining the circumference of the bowl, the underside rich with a basin of birdseye.