Jacono: Rook Poker (E) Tobacco Pipe

This Poker is an impressively stout piece from Italian workshop Jacono, coming in at more than a fifth of a pound in weight while measuring less than five and a half inches long. The transition is wide, with ample room to drape a digit, and it gives way to a short shank, here met by a sleek saddle stem of black acrylic. The slender shank and stem combination places further emphasis on the presence of the bowl, which rests atop a flattened heel at the fore, and it grows thick, tall walls that taper swiftly to a mid-set waistline before flaring out dramatically to the rim. Said rim is vast and subtly domed, and it overlooks a capacious chamber that's sure to offer leisurely smoking sessions. Dressed in the warm, rich stain of the Rook series, this pipe displays handsome grain, with flame wrapping around the bowl and a broad expanse of birdseye across the rim.

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.