Caminetto: Smooth Paneled Billiard (05) (AR) Tobacco Pipe

The Caminetto workshop was founded by Luigi Radice and Guiseppe Ascorti in the late 1960s, the pair establishing the brand after a lengthy tenure with Castello. Caminetto pipes quickly became a success, their unique design language cementing them as one of Italy's most respected makers. They've become especially renowned for their craggy rustications, with many of their pipes showcasing highly textural carving across their stummels. This Paneled Billiard is a rather compact piece from the brand, coming in at less than five and a half inches long but showcasing an impressively muscular look. Much of this muscularity is present at the bowl, which is here framed by a quartet of firm panels that are rounded at the corners for a touch of added softness in hand. A wide transition gives way to a gently tapering shank that reaches out to meet a sleek saddle stem of genuine cumberland: something seldom seen from Caminetto. The warm tones of this stem nicely complement this pipe's rich, warm stain, its smooth finish revealing a wealth of handsome grain to appreciate.