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

Since 2018, Claudio Cavicchi and Claudio Albieri have collaborated once a year on a special series of pipes which have, historically, been called "Bologna" in honor of Cavicchi's home town, and featured a pair of Cavicchi's pipes inside of a leather presentation box made by Albieri. For 2021, the pair have instead opted to present a singular pipe inside of a red leather pipe pouch, complete with its own red leather pipe bag, naming this release "Ambra," which translates to "Amber" in English. This is significant not only because of its departure from tradition and its name change, but because this extremely limited run of seven total pipes features Claudio Cavicchi's first ever contrast stain, earning them the "Ambra" appellation by virtue of their incredible coloration. This particular example is a bent Dublin and is number seven of seven, completing the set as the sole pipe with an adornment of olive wood.

This is quite the dramatically stylized piece from Cavicchi, pairing a tall, rapidly flaring bowl to a shank and stem that are comparatively much sleeker. The effect of this not only does a wonderful job of emphasizing the visual weight of the bowl, but also enhances its organic, almost floral appearance. There's a lot to say about the usage of negative space in regard to this pipe, as not only is there a good deal at the transition, but also just before the heel, owed to the shank's very subtle pinching just before the transition takes hold, as well as a band of it after the shank face, stepping down to the olivewood accent before flaring to an expansion ring at the stem's base. Such shaping ensures that every bit of this pipe receives the attention that it is due, as these voids attract the eye. Not only this, but the negative space near the heel also serves to make it much more pronounced, especially visually, as there is a distinct dipping to its base that extends the body of the bowl slightly. At the apex of the bowl's flare we find the rim, one crowned with an incredible wealth of plateau and given the slightest of domes, with each peak of the craggy briar's surface sanded down just enough to reveal individual pinpricks of birdseye. The rest of the stummel is smooth, and, finished with Cavicchi's contrast stain, reveals an absolutely stunning array of straight grain, each striation given prominence with their darker coloration, popping out of the lighter base ready to arrest the minds of all that view this piece.