Ardor: Meteora Volcano Tobacco Pipe

Though the Ardor pipes workshop was founded in 1974 by father-son team Angelo and Dorelio Rovera, the pipe making history of the family stretches back to 1911, with the founding of Sociedade Rovera in Varese, Italy. It was at here that Angelo began to carve pipes alongside his father and uncles, starting at the age of 13 in 1958, Ardor's debut into the pipe world marked by a high standard of craftsmanship that's remained consistent for nearly five decades. Though Angelo passed away in 1999, Ardor is now run by Dorelio, alongside both Damiano and Dimitri, the next generation of Roveras. Ardor's pipes are often typified by their strikingly neoclassical proportions, with each piece offering greatly enhanced substance about the bowl and a reassuring presence in hand. This Volcano is a unique take on the shape, with a straight shank and stem combination and the form's requisite wrapping ridge, forming the base of this pipe in a pointed spur at the fore. A ridge bisects the underside and punctuates the spur, while the shape lifts at the lower flanks, supporting the bowl's walls as they make a slight taper to the rim. These walls are rounded by an octet of firm panels, which firm up this pipe significantly and highlight their subtle taper, while a wide transition out back pairs the bowl to a square shank. A sleek saddle stem of vibrant sky-blue acrylic completes this composition, and its cobalt-toned base offers even more color to appreciate. Dressed in Ardor's Meteora finish and stained a deep ruby hue, the surface of the stummel combines smooth-polished channels with deep, rusticated sections for a rather architectural look and quite a stimulating feel in hand. The look is true to its inspiration: one of the largest Eastern Orthodox monastery complexes in Greece, all built on natural sandstone pillars around land inhabited for thousands of years.