Italian Estates: Castello Collection Great Line Bent Dublin (KKK) (2012) Tobacco Pipe

Italian workshop Castello has a rich history that stretches back to 1947 with its founding by Carlo Scotti, being established as one of the first Italian brands to offer high-quality handmade pipes to the general public. In the 1960s, following the addition of Luigi Radice and Peppino Ascorti to their team of carvers, Castello's pipes began to take on a form that was quite different from the Anglo-French classics that they and others had been producing. The Italian neoclassical style which they had begun to develop led not only to a shaping renaissance within Italy, but the production of a number of now iconic profiles. This bent Dublin belongs to one of Castello's largest size designations: the Great Line. Coming in at almost six and a half inches long and boasting a bowl over two inches tall, this piece has done well to earn its appellation. Said bowl sits atop a firm heel and flares up to a broad, plateau-crowned rim, its form forward urging. A wide transition gives way to a lifting shank that tapers through its slim, black acrylic mouthpiece, the combination lending the composition a gentle bit of sinuousness. Dressed in the warm auburn stain of the Collection finish, this piece showcases some lovely flame grain around its bowl.