Claudio Cavicchi: Smooth Bent Dublin (CCCC) Tobacco Pipe

Claudio Cavicchi has spent over half a century honing his craft and possesses an uncanny talent for bringing out the very best from a block of briar, and the bent Dublin pictured here is a testament to that talent. The fore of the flared bowl flows forward, tilting the wide rim up and back until it's level with the stem's graceful bend. The graceful, gradual curves comprising the stummel hew close to Horn territory, however, the bowl still retains a hint of conical shaping. Toward the stem, the shank wears a trim black band that, with the bent acrylic stem, bookends a ring of briar, drawing emphasis to the area and evoking the look of an inlaid accent.

While all of his pieces are made of high-quality briar and showcase expert shaping, there is a grading system among Cavicchi's pipes to further designate their individual caliber. Graded four C's out of five, this offering showcases not only expert shaping, but excellent grain also. The walls of the large bowl provide ample space to showcase the briar's lengthy tendrils of flame grain, and the wide rim is replete with exemplary birdseye. Dressing the gorgeous grain of this piece is a light auburn stain and smooth finish.