Claudio Cavicchi: Ambra Smooth Bent Dublin with Claudio Albieri Travel Case (04/07) Tobacco Pipe

Every year since 2018, Claudio Cavicchi and Claudio Albieri have collaborated on a special, limited edition project, with Cavicchi crafting a unique line of pipes and Albieri producing travel cases or boxes from high-quality Italian leather. For 2021, Cavicchi has fashioned his first ever contrast-stained pipes and crafted each piece from the same select briar as his Perla- and Diamante-graded pieces. There are only seven pipes total in the 2021 Ambra series, and each pipe comes witha zippered leather case, which features pockets for additional accessories, and a pipe sock, all handcrafted by Albieri.

Contrast stains are a laborious, time-consuming process that requires the stummel of a pipe to be stained one color and allowed to fully absorb that stain before sections of the stain are sanded down to virgin briar and a second color is applied. The results, in Cavicchi's hands, are mesmerizing, as evidenced by this bent Dublin, with the handsome, fine strands of flame grain across either flank of the bowl lent glorious visual flair. Shape-wise, this piece features a flared, plateau-crowned rim set above the bowl's taper to the subtly lifted heel. As typical for Cavicchi, this is a pipe of bowl-centric, Italian neoclassical proportions, with the bowl dominating much of the pipe's visual weight and dwarfing the relatively trim shank-and-stem arrangement. The lengthy shank extends from the low-slung, tight-knit transition, its straight, sleek lines further compounding the bowl's forward-ebbing momentum. The abbreviated saddle stem of jet-black acrylic tops off the design and makes a light downturn for a comfortable smoking posture. Gorgeous, collectible, and all together charming, this piece is an absolutely stunning bit of craftsmanship, and it's sure to become a favorite among any collector's rotation.