Claudio Cavicchi: Smooth Bent Apple (CCC) 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. His over 50 years of experience ensures that his pipes are not only beautiful, but expertly shaped and precisely drilled. This bent Apple is a plump, supple pipe that boasts ample rotundity around its bowl and a charmingly chubby look overall. The transition is wide, and it gives way to a lifting, extended shank that tapers subtly toward a short saddle stem of black acrylic, poising this piece for comfortable smoking. Up front, the bowl stands on a rounded heel and grows thick, curvaceous walls that take on an arcing taper to the rim and offer plenty of contours to appreciate in hand. Dressed in one of Cavicchi's iconic honey-blonde finishes and graded three Cs out of five, the bowl and shank are wrapped in dense flame grain, while the rim and underside are peppered with birdseye.