Claudio Cavicchi: Brown Smooth Volcano Tobacco Pipe

Claudio Cavicchi is truly a master of his craft, and his ability to coax the best possible grain out of every piece of briar will always astound me. Originally a farmer, Claudio was first inspired to make pipes after an order he placed for one with his local tobacconist took many months to fill. What resulted was not only a pipe almost exactly like the one Cavicchi was looking for, but a passion that has lasted nearly five decades, his first piece made in 1974. A world-champion slow-smoker with three titles under his belt, Claudio Cavicchi relentlessly seeks perfection in every pipe that he crafts, not only able to read grain exceptionally well, but able to engineer pipes that smoke magnificently. This Volcano is one of the most low-slung takes on the shape we've seen Cavicchi craft, and it presents with a decidedly neoclassical silhouette that emphasizes the bowl immediately. Said bowl is paired to a very slightly lifted shank almost directly at the underside, and this shank flares out to meet a demurely curved saddle stem of black acrylic: the smoking posture nearly that of a straight pipe. Up front, the bowl stands on a rounded heel that expands out to a low-set waist that also marks the form's iconic base, with the walls taking on a sleek taper from here to the rim. This piece comes dressed in one of Cavicchi's deep, chestnut-hued stains, revealing a lovely array of flame grain through the flanks, while the rim and underside showcase some dense birdseye.