Claudio Cavicchi: Brown Sandblasted Bent Billiard 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. A hearty, thickly-built take on the bent Billiard, this piece from Cavicchi boasts an Egg-like bowl whose walls feature a subtle, arcing taper to the flat rim. It's topped by a gracefully arcing shank-and-stem combination: the latter downturned to promote a comfortable smoking posture. This sinuous stretch of shank and stem lends the outline of the pipe a fluid undercurve, creating a soft outline that not only keeps the eye held, but that begs to be held in the hand. The stummel here has been dressed in one of Cavicchi's excellent sandblasts and stained a rich auburn, Claudio's talent for shaping to the grain showcased in the rippling growth rings that cascade down the bowl.