Castello: 'Castello' Bent Billiard (KKKK) Tobacco Pipe

Founded in 1947 by Carlo Scotti, Castello's commitment to handcrafting high-quality pipes helped elevate the reputation of Italian pipes to luxury status. Furthermore, Castello's approach to shaping helped cultivate the bowl-centric and whimsical Italian neoclassic aesthetic. This bent Billiard is a curvaceous rendition of the classic shape, the bowl falling in line well with the Italian neoclassical shaping style thanks to its appreciable height and capacious chamber. The sleek length of the shank and stem roots the visual weight of this pipe at the bowl, with this rear half possessed of a continuous taper from the transition to the button. Not only does this magnify the presence of the bowl, but it also offers a kind of lithe, elegant poise that offsets that presence a touch, keeping things looking balanced and offering a comfortable smoking posture with its appreciable curvature. The transition is slightly angular and gently sweeps forward toward the aft of the bowl, working in tandem with the angle of the heel to cant the bowl forward a bit, adding a degree of dynamism to the profile and keeping it lively. A hearty and handsome pipe, the stummel is dressed in the workshop's eponymous finish, being stained a smoky hue that reveals a stunning array of birdseye across the left flank of the bowl