Claudio Cavicchi: Smooth Bent Dublin (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. An Acorn-like take on the bent Dublin, this pipe features an expressive bowl that flares out of its rounded heel with a pronounced curvature. These curves create an inflated, high-set waist sat just below the rim, with this domed rim overlooking a capacious, well-insulated chamber. The transition is wide, and it pairs the bowl to a subtly lifting shank whose junction is highlighted by a trim band of black acrylic situated just before the shank meets a short, smartly curved saddle stem of black acrylic. Dressed in one of Cavicchi's iconic honey-blonde stains, this pipe has earned the carver's CCCC grade, the bowl wrapped with a pattern of dense flame grain, while the rim displays a vast plain of swirling birdseye.