Il Duca Sandblasted Cherrywood with Boxwood (B) Tobacco Pipe

Massimiliano "Max" Rimensi began working with wood in his uncle's shop at age 14, giving him a fascination with carpentry that preceded the purchase of his first pipe. It was in that same shop that Max made his first pipe, the result of which didn't satisfy him but the process of which enthralled him. Though located in Occhiobello, southwest of Venice near Italy's Adriatic coast, Max's fanciful shapes take inspiration from all over, crafted with briar he lets dry for years before shaping.

This Cherrywood of Max's is fronted by a forward-canted, cylindrical bowl nearly two inches deep and stacked with nearly uniform growth rings from rim to heel, all stained darkly for a sleek appearance. The bowl is backed by a dramatically upturned shank that flares lightly outward near the face, where it meets with a razor-thin accent ring of boxwood. A vulcanite saddle stem with low, round shoulders bends gradually back to the bit to finish this piece, a handsome and quite modern take on the classic Cherrywood.