Claudio Cavicchi: Smooth Bent Billiard (CCCC) 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, and all of these are the case with this bent Billiard. The silhouette here is timeless, though it's been rendered with a great deal of extra musculature, taking the iconic lines of the bent Billiard and expanding them. The transition is tight, though it gives plenty of room to drape a digit, giving way to a lifting shank that tapers subtly as it reaches toward a sleek saddle stem of black acrylic that's smartly curved for comfortable smoking. This pairing lends the pipe a charming bit of sinuousness, enhancing the rounded elements of the shank and naturally guiding the eye to the bowl. Up front, the bowl stands on a rounded heel and grows to a low-set waistline, with this waist starting an arcing taper to the rim: the bowl itself complete with ample curvature and plenty of suppleness to appreciate while smoking. Dressed in one of Cavicchi's iconic honey-blonde finishes and graded four "C"'s out of five, the bowl is wrapped in dense flame grain, while the underside is peppered with birdseye.