Claudio Cavicchi: Smooth Bent Dublin with Olivewood (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. 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 slightly Pickaxe-like bent Dublin boasts a pronounced and curved heel that rounds off at the back near the transitional area, creating a well of visual focus that immediately draws the eye to the fore. This kind of rounded spur supports a flaring bowl that expands expressively toward a broad rim, its thick walls offering comfort in hand thanks to their ample curvature. A rather wide transition gives way to a short, trim shank that flares out softly to a stylized fitment of olivewood, one which marks the junction to a demurely curved stem of jet-black acrylic: the base of the stem boasting its own pale white accent. Dressed in one of Cavicchi's iconic honey-blonde finishes and graded four C's out of five, the stummel boasts flowing cross grain through the sides and across the rim, with ample birdseye at the fore and aft walls of the bowl.