Castello: Old Antiquari Pot (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. A stout pipe of relatively compact dimensions, this straight Pot boasts a robust bowl with plenty of surface area for the fingers to wrap around. A wide transition leaves ample room to drape a thumb, and from here starts the thick shank's gradual taper toward the stem, keeping the aft side of the pipe a touch more svelte than it would be otherwise. The bowl here sits atop a rounded heel that lends the bowl a touch of softness near the bottom, and the walls that grow out of it take on an understated taper to the rim. The wealth of material possessed by this pipe offers a fantastic surface for the dark stain and crisp sandblast of the Old Antiquari finish, offering handsome grain and a wealth of texture.