Castello: Collection Bent Dublin (Big Line) 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. Castello's Big Line series is quite the interesting one, as it comprises stummels made from briar that has been aged for 12 years, ensuring that the final burl is excellently cured by the time it is shaped. Also, it designates pipes that are really, really large, which this bent Dublin certainly is. This sinuous piece is an excellent example of the skill of Castello's carvers, complete with a striking S-curve and comfortable smoking posture. Sitting atop a sweeping heel, the tall, generously robust, and forward-urging bowl displays a dramatic flare toward the plateau-crowned rim and an understated ovoid shaping that's compressed at the flanks. The curling shank lifts and tapers out of a wide transition and is topped by an acrylic military mount fitted to a fluidly curved stem of matching black acrylic. This mount configuration allows the pipe to be broken down easily and at any time, adding some practicality to this lovely piece. Dressed in the rich, warm stain of Castello's Collection finish, this piece boasts a generous chamber and much to appreciate visually, with striations of flame grain engulfing the bowl.