Italian Estates: Castello 'Castello' Bulldog with Carving (KKK) (*) Tobacco Pipe

With a layered history dating back to 1947, Castello is known as one of the first Italian brands to separate from the conventional English and French shape charts to help create the Italian neoclassical style seen today. Translating to "castle" in English, founder Carlo Scotti chose the name Castello to be recognized in several European languages. The marque eventually combined with Radice and Ascorti and was one of the first brands to provide high-quality handmade pipes to the general public. Leading shaping in Italy, Castello is now considered one of the most iconic pipe manufacturers in the world.

When it comes to shape and texture, this Bulldog from Castello diverges from the norm and creates a piece that is sure to diversify any collection. The bowl lacks the traditional beadlines of a Bulldog, though it does taper to the rim from a mid-set waistline. Said bowl appears to rest upon the section of carved briar that stretches all the way to the pointed heel, helping inform the diamond silhouette of the shank. Instead of the diamond profile extending through the stem, it instead ends at a capped shank base that is cut from inky acrylic to match the protruding tapered stem. Regular production pipes from Castello are graded with one to four "K" stamps, which considers both grain quality and the overall size of the pipes, with this particular pipe graded with three "K" stamps.