Becker: Sandblasted Dublin (Three Clubs) Tobacco Pipe

A third-generation pipe maker, Federico Becker continues the shaping tradition established in the 1970s by his grandfather and father, co-mingling their carving styles with his own.

Displaying the clean, crisp lines that define the Italian artisan's work, this compact, pocket-friendly Dublin also presents supple, rounded contours. The rather stocky, thick-walled bowl dominates the design, the curvaceous shaping showing a most subtle flare toward the gently domed rim, which is encircled by a distinctive ridgeline. The heel, of course, offers the pointed angularity in profile that's long been a signature of Federico's. This piece displays a bit more thickness through the transition and shank than some renditions of the same shape, yet maintains a gradual taper through the stem to the bit. The stummel is dressed in a dark-stained sandblast that allows hints of the natural briar to peek through, matching the smooth inner rim and smooth panel along the underside.