Castello: Aristocratica Bent Billiard Tobacco Pipe

Though this is quite a compact pipe, measuring in at just barely over five inches long, this bent Billiard from Castello is a strikingly robust piece with a full-bodied bowl and sinuous curves throughout. I'm impressed by the degree of muscularity on display here and the consistency with which it possesses this pipe's build, as the hearty bowl is balanced by a thick, gently tapering shank and trim, demurely curved saddle stem. That being said, this is still a distinctly neoclassical piece, with the bowl standing out prominently at the end of the shank and stem combination, rising to over two inches in height and holding a chamber nearly as deep. The thick walls of this bowl are softly curved toward the rim, lending them a touch of taper through the travel to its plateau-crowned surface. As part of the storied Aristocratica line, this rim has been fumed, draping it in a smoky, inky stain that starkly contrasts the grain-defining auburn dressing of the rest of the stummel, as well as the pale-white acrylic stem.