Castello: Collection Opera (KK) Tobacco Pipe

Italian workshop Castello has a rich history that stretches back to 1947 with its founding by Carlo Scotti, being established as one of the first Italian brands to offer high-quality handmade pipes to the general public. In the 1960s, following the addition of Luigi Radice and Peppino Ascorti to their team of carvers, Castello's pipes began to take on a form that was quite different from the Anglo-French classics that they and others had been producing. The Italian neoclassical style which they had begun to develop led not only to a shaping renaissance within Italy, but the production of a number of now iconic profiles. Defined by an oval-shaped bowl that makes pocket carry less of a pocket bulge, the Opera shape has a long history and has been rendered by many brands, but it's an uncommon offering from Castello. It's a classic design that corresponds to the "44" on Castello's shape chart, displaying traditional shaping cues throughout, with the bowl commanding much of the piece's visual attention. Per the Opera shape, the bowl is longer than it is wide and is rendered here in compact proportions, its visual presence accentuated by the shank's gentle taper. Dressed in the warm Collection finish, the stummel here showcases a wealth of handsome grain.