Jacono: Queen Bent Dublin Sitter (Checkmate, Checkmate, Checkmate) Tobacco Pipe

The "Checkmate" stamping on Jacono's pipes designates pieces which are significantly larger than the Italian workshop's standard fare, and this stamping can stack, with this particular bent Dublin sitter having been stamped a staggering three times. As such, this piece presents with over half a pound in weight and nearly nine inches in length, lending it an imposing feel in hand. The flattened heel of this pipe allows for easy sitting and acts as the visual center of this pipe thanks to its massive substance and impressive thickness. This heel area gives way to a dramatically flaring bowl that expands into a vast, plateau-crowned rim, one whose fore portion drapes over the fore wall in a floral-looking arrangement. The transition is wide and gives way to a lifting, tapering shank, here paired to a similarly tapering stem of demurely curved black acrylic, poising this piece for comfortable smoking. Dressed in the vibrant honey-auburn contrast stain of the Queen's finish, this pipe displays some truly incredible flame grain throughout its flanks, while the entire underside is populated with dense birdseye.

In 1981, Tonino Jacono's father-in-law extended an offer to start a new pipe-making workshop, his father-in-law providing high-quality briar from his job at a briar-cutting mill, his brother shaping the pipes, and Tonino himself doing the finishing. The idea was developed further, and, two years later, the first Jacono pipes were made in 1983 from out of the family's small workshop in Jesi, Italy. Tonino's start at this new venture was guided by a simple principle: offer pipes of the highest possible quality at the best possible price. Tonino now heads the company and has taken on carving responsibilities himself, staying true to his original goal, though benefiting from more than three decades of pipe-making experience and a reputation for excellence.