Rook Billiard (2025) Tobacco Pipe

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.

This Billiard is a good example of Jacono's style, with a supple, Brandy-like bowl standing at the fore of a more slender shank-and-stem combination. Said shank pushes out of a wide transition, its slight taper met by a more swiftly tapering stem of swirling brown acrylic. Up front, the bowl stands on a rounded, slightly pronounced heel, its low-set waistline supporting thick walls as they form an arcing taper to the rim and a comfortable feel in hand. Dressed in the smoky smooth finish of the Rook series, this pipe showcases handsome grain, with flame around the bowl and birdseye across the underside.