Castello: SPC 20th Anniversary Aristocratica Apple with Tamper (08.40) Tobacco Pipe

This unique Apple was designed and created for the Smokingpipes 20th Anniversary project through a collaboration between Sykes Wilford, Shane Ireland, and Castello's artisans, resulting in a custom design that's simultaneously new yet quite familiar. Essentially, this shape is a combination of the Italian workshop's beloved "10" Brucianaso nosewarmer Billiard and their "23" Apple. It maintains the Brucianaso's compact, pocket-friendly dimensions, but trades the tapered mouthpiece found on the "23" for a saddle stem and features a smooth briar inlay along the stem base to accent. It's a proportionally robust piece that offers ample chamber depth but is rendered on a smaller scale for broader appeal and practicality while the muscular bowl still offers a substantial presence in hand. As such, this piece is the perfect compromise for those who appreciate Castello's use of well-cured briar and rich history, but prefer slightly smaller shapes that are more easily manageable. It's seen here wearing the fumed look of the Aristocratica finish, offering an additional sense of charming warmth while the plateau-crowned rim blends seamlessly with the upper bowl's darker stain. Said finish also hearkens back to a time when Castello founder Carlo Scotti would fashion an exclusive line of pipes for his close associates, making this already special piece all the more desirable.

2020 marks the 20th year since Sykes Wilford founded Smokingpipes.com. To commemorate such a milestone, we've partnered with numerous pipe makers to release several projects throughout the year, and presented here is Castello's contribution to SPC's 20th Anniversary line. As this is a deeply personal endeavor, Sykes wanted each series not only to showcase the aspects at which each manufacturer excels, but also to represent pipes which he himself found interesting and attractive. The singular shape readily demonstrates the Italian workshop's versatility and exquisite craftsmanship and is offered in a variety of Castello's distinctive finishes. This composition is one of the 40 total Castello SPC 20th Anniversary pipes produced, each pipe individually serialized and stamped with our special 20th Anniversary logo. In addition, each pipe within the series comes with its own sleek, jet-black acrylic tamper, featuring a sterling silver tamping foot for a touch of elegant flash. Join us in celebrating 20 years of Smokingpipes with this limited-edition offering from one of the most prolific pipe making workshops in the world, and be on the lookout throughout the year for our other exciting 20th Anniversary projects.