Rook Cherrywood (2026) Tobacco Pipe

Tonino Jacono entered the pipe business in 1981, finishing and selling pipes that were shaped by his brother-in-law from briar acquired and drilled by his father-in-law. After two years, Jacono left Calabria — the region comprising the Italian peninsula's southwestern "toe" — and moved north to Jesi, a municipality near Italy's Adriatic coast. Jacono began making pipes under his own name in Jesi, and still does today, with a philosophy of making high-quality pipes at a fair price point.

This Jacono Cherrywood is fronted with a canted bowl of otherwise perfectly straight walls backed with an upturned shank, quite typical of the classic shape. What makes this piece special is the fanned-out flame grain that adorns the walls and the stain Jacono used to give the grain such a brilliant contrast between light and dark. Out back, a lengthy saddle stem of black acrylic bends and tapers gradually back from the shoulders, the curve mirroring the very slight curve of the upturned shank. It's somewhat of a subtle piece all around, except in its beauty, which is quite abundant.