Castello: Perla Nera Stack (K) Tobacco Pipe

The Stack isn't exactly a common shape from Castello, as we've only had a handful of examples cross our path in recent memory, but it is one that the Italian workshop crafts very well. In addition, it's also a profile that works wonderfully with the neoclassical shaping style that Castello are masters of, something seen here with this iteration, one which features a shorter bowl than we're used to seeing, though still rises to over two inches tall. All of this height is balanced by a sleek, consistently tapering stretch of shank and stem, the subtly rounded contours of the bowl aided in providing comfort in the hand by a wide transition. In a combination we've never seen before from the legendary Cantù carvers, this Stack comes dressed in the inky black stain of the Perla Nera series, enshrouding the briar within a glossy lacquer of shadowy elegance. To compliment this, they've fitted it with a dark violet stem and a smooth band of briar at the shank end, the latter offering rich contrast.