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. This bent Billiard is a thoroughly rounded, Apple-like take on the shape, presenting with a supple, curvaceous bowl that stands out as the center of this piece's visual weight. The transition is wide, and it pairs the bowl to a sharply lifting, extended, shank that reaches out to meet a short, smartly curved saddle stem of black acrylic, poising this piece for comfortable smoking. Up front, the bowl stands on a rounded heel, its walls growing into a low-set waist before taking on an arcing taper to the rim and offering a comfortable feel in hand. 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 underside displays a vast plain of swirling birdseye.