Italian Estates: Rinaldo Lithos Lovat with Silver (2) (YY) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Elio and Guido Rinaldo have been making pipes together since 1974, getting their start in one of Pesaro's major workshops before establishing their own brand, Rinaldo, in 1987. To this day, every pipe produced by the workshop is crafted solely by the two brothers, with the utmost attention paid to every aspect of the pipes' performance and comfort, both in hand and between the teeth. This Lovat is a fairly classic take on the shape, with a plump, pert bowl that stands on a rounded heel and grows thick, subtly curvaceous walls that taper gently to the rim. The silhouette of the bowl here displays an Egg-like sensibility, with a mid-set waist, the visual weight of the fore balanced nicely by a lengthy, tapering shank married to a slim, short, saddle stem of amber-hued acrylic. The junction is marked by a unique silver accent rendered in the shape of a wrapping chain, pulling some of the emphasis toward the aft side of the pipe. Dressed in the craggy rustication of the Lithos series and stained a deep, dark, rich ruby tone, the stummel displays a wealth of texture.